Not a Valentine's date
by you-make-me-wander
Summary: Malia breaks up with Stiles a few weeks before Valentine's Day and Stiles turns to Lydia for comfort. As they grow closer, he calls her out on her feelings.
1. Chapter 1

It's a cold January night when Stiles calls her at 2am and asks if he can stop by. He sounds broken and tired, his voice hoarse, and it only reminds her of the time he was possessed by an evil spirit, so of course she says yes. Ten minutes later he's on her front porch. Lydia opens the front door and almost automatically, he starts heading upstairs; she doesn't say anything. He's been crying, she notices, and looks like he hasn't slept in weeks, so she just trails close behind him as they tiptoe all the way to her bedroom not to wake up her mom.

There, he takes off his jacket while she moves her books from her bed to her desk, making room for him. He sits on the edge of the bed, looking down at his hands.

"Can I get you anything? Water, maybe?" she asks.

He looks up at her and all she sees is sadness in his eyes. "No, thanks. I'm good." Lydia sits beside him, not sure of what to do. "I'm sorry for calling this late. I didn't mean to bother you…"

"It's fine. I was awake."

"I wasn't even sure you'd be home, I thought you'd be at the party," he mutters.

Parties are not really her thing anymore. "Wasn't feeling like it, so I stayed home tonight. I've been researching."

Now he feels guilty. It's been months since they pulled an all-nighter together researching for the pack. He doesn't even remember when the last time they were alone was. "Can I help?"

She won't force him to talk. If he's there with her, there's a reason for it and she'll take all the time with him she can get, whatever that reason might be. Also, the idea of Stiles helping her again to do what they do best together is cheering her up and she really wants to say yes but he looks exhausted, and even if it would get his mind off of whatever it is that's bothering him, she just wants to make him feel better. She's worried about him. He has never come to her like this and even though it's uncharted territory for them, they adjust quickly, doing and saying things like it's what they are supposed to do.

She takes his hand and squeezes it gently, a small smile on her lips. "Tomorrow. You look like you could use a good night sleep. Would your dad mind if you stayed?"

He shakes his head. "Would your mom mind?"

"No, of course not. Come on," she says, crawling her way on the bed to get underneath the covers.

She already has her pjs on, so Stiles quickly takes off his shoes and joins her on the bed. He actually expected Lydia to ask questions, at least until she knew what all of this was about (he still hopes that, if he's right, she will inquire carefully when she does), but he is still surprised and grateful when she keeps her thoughts to herself, giving him time to open up about it. He turns on his side to face her and, turning off the lights, Lydia does the same. The only light coming into the room comes from the moon.

"I uh… I know this is weird, but I kind of just needed someone to talk to, or not talk to, I guess," he mumbles.

"It's okay, Stiles. I'm here whether you want to talk or not, alright?" She smiles reassuringly. "Why don't we get some sleep and we can talk in the morning, if you want to?"

He nods so she turns on the bed again so that her back is against the mattress. Lydia looks at the ceiling for a moment, trying to focus on thoughts that are not related to the boy with the moles and hazel eyes. It's one thing having him in her bed, another thing entirely if she has to watch him fall asleep next to her. She'll only fall more in love with him and she's already in deep as it is. That's when he speaks.

"It's Malia. She uh… She broke up with me."

She glances at him but he doesn't return the gaze right away. He sounded tired and sad and hurt and Lydia can't help but to reach for him for comfort. She stays in the same position but moves a little closer to him, lifting the blankets and patting her belly. "Come here."

"Lydia, you don't have to…"

Even in the dim light, Stiles can see her roll her eyes and he wants to laugh, but the situation doesn't call for it so he tries to hide a smile, one that Lydia, of course, sees.

He gets so close to her that it's like they're glued together and Lydia bites her lip when he lowers his head to rest on her stomach and embraces her.

"Is this okay?"

It's always disconcerting to Lydia that he worries about her as much as he does. Sure, lately things have been a little off with them, but he still cares. That's all she needs to know. She also knew that his break up with Malia was imminent but she always thought he'd be the one ending it, not the other way around, and even though Lydia knows, deep down, that he didn't love her, Stiles still liked the girl and it is his first break up after all, so he needs comfort.

"It's fine, Stiles."

"But you'll get cold," he says, looking up at her.

_Now that's a view_. They both blush because they had never seen the other from such perspective, or been together with such intimacy for that matter. Lydia pulls the blankets enough so that they cover Stiles and her torso, and even though everything from her chest up is uncovered and out in the cold, she doubts she'll freeze; he's warming her up just fine. "I'm sure I won't."

He tries to hold back but he's not feeling so strong anymore now that he's in Lydia's arms, so eventually he starts crying silently. She knows he is, she can feel her shirt getting wet but she doesn't mention it; instead she starts running her hand through his hair tenderly, holding him close to her and whispering that everything is going to be okay. They fall asleep like that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Eventually Stiles falls asleep and Lydia tries her best to stay awake until he does, dozing off soon after. When she wakes up, she realizes they moved around during the night because his head is resting on her right shoulder and he's breathing dangerously close to her neck and making her shiver, aside from their legs, which are completely tangled. Her right hand is still on his hair, slightly touching his neck, while her left hand is on top of his on her stomach.

And _god_ she doesn't want to move, which is utterly and completely ridiculous, she thinks to herself, because this right now is the most intimate she has ever been with someone and it's happening with someone who's not only fast asleep and unaware of the situation but also someone who was just broken up with and still, she smiles. She dares to smile and if that makes her the most selfish person on Earth, so be it.

She moves a little, distancing herself from him just enough so that she can see him better, and it might be the best idea she's ever had because morning Stiles is gorgeous. His hair is all messy, he's pouting and his cheeks are a little rosy, his breathing steady. Even though she knows he's tired - the bags under his eyes don't lie - he looks peaceful, relaxed even. She feels the urge to touch him, caress his cheek or run her hand through his hair again, but she doesn't want to wake him up, so she huffs quietly, frustrated. And she's really trying to avoid looking at his lips for long because it's like they're calling her name so thank god, or Natalie really, for the knock on Lydia's door or she wouldn't be held responsible for her actions.

Like always, Natalie knocks on the door and enters right after. "Lydia, sweetheart, shouldn't you be up already?"

Lydia knows it's not her place to do it, that she has a boy who's sleeping on her bed and spent the night without her mother knowing about it, but she does it. She shushes her mom because what if she wakes him? He needs to sleep.

Natalie looks at them surprised at first, then curious. Stiles must be a heavy sleeper for he hasn't moved an inch but Lydia? Lydia is blushing hard when she mouths to her mom to give her a minute.

Nodding, Natalie closes the door behind her and heads to the kitchen. Lydia looks at the clock on her bedside table. 11:22am. They really must have been comfortable because Lydia rarely sleeps in. Stiles though, he still looks like he could use a few more hours so, ever so slowly, she gets away from his grip without waking him up and, grabbing her phone, she leaves her bedroom to meet her mom downstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"It's not what you think" is the first thing Lydia says when she joins her mom in the kitchen, sitting in one of the chairs.

Natalie is leaning against one of the counters. "I didn't say anything."

"You didn't have to. I know _that_ look," Lydia mutters. It's not exactly the first time that her mom finds a man in her room, but this is Stiles. "Nothing happened."

"Something happened," Natalie bites back. Lydia narrows her eyes at the comment and Natalie tries not to laugh.

"He called and asked if he could stop by. He didn't sound so good, so I said yes. It was already late and you were asleep, mom, I wasn't gonna wake you," Lydia tries to justify. Natalie raises an eyebrow at her daughter; like that's an excuse. Lydia purses her lips. "You know Malia, his girlfriend? He said that she broke up with him. He's been incredibly tired for weeks now and I just wanted him to get some rest. What was I supposed to do?"

"Like I said," Natalie repeats, "something happened. I mean, his girlfriend breaks up with him and he comes to you? Isn't Scott his best friend?"

"Yes, but I'm still his friend, mom."

"_Just_ a friend?"

Lydia lowers her head trying to hide her blush, even though she knows that her mom is seeing it clearly. "I'm not sure I really know," she whispers, embarrassed.

"He hasn't been around much lately, has he?" Natalie asks, walking towards Lydia and placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. Lydia shakes her head but doesn't say anything. "Did he tell you why they broke up?"

"No. That's all I got from him, really." She looks up at her mom. "Is it okay if he stays a little longer? I don't know when he'll wake up."

"Of course. I'm gonna start preparing lunch. Why don't you go and take a shower?"

Lydia smiles and, getting up, kisses her mom on the cheek. "Thank you."

On her way back to her bedroom, Lydia checks her phone. There are a dozen texts from Scott and Kira along with a few phone calls that Lydia missed because she turned her phone off right before Stiles had gotten there. Assuming that they have to do with him, Lydia is quick to get a new set of clothes from her bedroom, briefly glancing at Stiles, who is still sleeping. Without making much of a sound, she heads to the downstairs bathroom and calls Scott.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Please tell me he said something to you," Scott asks on the other side of the phone. He sounds worried. "We've been trying to reach him since last night and his phone is off and I really don't want to have to tell his dad that he disappeared again. I already called everyone else we know and no one has heard from him."

Lydia paces nervously back and forth in her downstairs bathroom. She's been feeling jittery ever since she left Stiles in her bed. "He's here, Scott," she mutters.

"He's there? H- How?"

Lydia rolls her eyes. "He drove, what do you think?"

"I meant, why? Why is he there? Did he tell you that Malia broke up with him?"

"Yes, but he didn't say anything else. He asked if he could stop by and I said yes." She pauses. "His voice, Scott-" Her own voice breaks a little. "His voice, it sounded like…"

"I get it," he whispers. They all remember Stiles' possession. "But you guys didn't… Hmm… Please tell me that you didn't..."

"Scott!" She hisses. Lydia knows exactly what he means. "He came over, we barely talked and we went to sleep. I don't really know what's going on but he's just so tired, he hasn't even woken up yet. That's pretty much the story."

Not that Lydia can see, but Scott looks embarrassed at what he was implying. "Sorry. It's just… You know that I know, right?"

It comes out more of a whisper because Lydia knows what's coming. "W- What?"

"That you have feelings for him," Scott says slowly, murmuring the words carefully, not knowing what to expect. "I know that we don't talk about it but Lydia, he probably feels like shit right now so I don't know if him being there is such a good idea."

"God, you sound like my mom," she complains. "I'm his friend too, Scott, and I'll be here for him no matter what. If he came to me over you, there's probably a reason."

"I know, that's what I'm saying."

"Well, that's not what_ I_ meant. You've known him longer, Scott, but I know him differently. And I care about him too."

"I know. Just… Be careful with him. It was bad, the break up, and I tried to get to him as soon as I found out but I couldn't get his scent and everyone said it was a hell of a scene…"

At that, Lydia yells. She can't help it. "She broke up with him at the party?"

Scott confirms. "In front of everyone, from what I was told."

Lydia's heart sinks fast in her chest and she feels the urge to scream. "If I get my hands on that werecoyote, I swear to god you'd better be there, Scott, or I'm gonna kill her."

"Perhaps we should hear the story first," the Alpha suggests, knowing that Lydia would be capable of fulfilling her threat easily enough, smart as she is. "Maybe I should come by, talk to him?"

"I don't know when he'll wake up, he was sound asleep when I left him."

"Do you think he'll stay the day?"

"I don't know, Scott! I'm not gonna wake him up, he needs to rest. But if I have any say in it, he'll stay. I'll tell him you called, alright? And please tell his dad that he's here."

Defeated, Scott concedes. "Okay. But Lydia…"

"I know. I'll be careful, I promise." She takes a deep breath. "And just so you know, I wouldn't. I couldn't do that to him."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Stiles had noticed Lydia's absence from her bed almost immediately after she left him by himself. Still, he dozed off again for a few more minutes, unable to get up yet. When he wakes up for the second time, Lydia is still not there.

Stiles sits up lazily, stretching and looking around her bedroom. Glancing at the clock and seeing that it's almost noon, Stiles gets up and walks to her en suite bathroom, where he washes his face and checks himself in the mirror. He still doesn't look so good, but he's definitely better. Those damn dark bags under his eyes are still there but he seems to have a little more color on his cheeks.

He makes her bed; it's the least he can do to return the favor Lydia did for him. Running his hands through his hair, he tries to make it look a little more presentable because he knows that Lydia's mother is probably around. Smoothing his shirt and taking his phone from his jacket pocket, he gets out of Lydia's bedroom and goes look for the strawberry blonde but doesn't find her. Instead, he spots her mom in the kitchen. Stepping into the room, Stiles looks at her embarrassed.

"Good morning, Stiles."

He scratches the back of his neck and blushes. She doesn't look surprised to see him so he figures Lydia already talked to her. "Good morning. I uh… I'm sorry for spending the night. I shouldn't have barged in like that."

"Oh honey, it's fine. Are you feeling better? Lydia mentioned you weren't feeling so good last night…"

"Yes." It's a small smile he gives her. "Much better, actually. I should call my dad," he says, gesturing to his phone.

"Would you like to stay for lunch? I'm making lasagna." The woman smiles warmly and to Stiles she looks like Melissa when she takes care of him, like his mom used to do and he misses it. He can't help but smile back.

"I don't want to trouble you any more than I already did, but thanks for offering."

"Oh sweetheart," Natalie beams. "We'd love to have you if your father is okay with it, of course. It's always just the two of us, me and Lydia. It'd be fun. And you look like you could use a distraction."

She smiles sincerely and something tugs at Stiles' heart. It's one of the things that's making him feel worse about the whole break up thing. His mom was supposed to be here for him and she isn't and he's not sure what to do with that. He gets a little teary and lowers his head to avoid Natalie's gaze, but to no avail; she was watching him and in no time she's right in front of Stiles, pulling him into a hug. Still, he doesn't cry and she doesn't push the matter.

"You can stay as long as you want, alright?"

Stepping away from her, Stiles' hands fidget nervously with his phone but when he looks up at the woman, he gives her the most genuine smile he can manage. His voice breaks a little when he says "Thank you. I'll go call my dad and ask if I can stay for lunch. But only if I can help. I don't really do well staying on the sidelines, you know?"

Natalie nods reassuringly and smiles back. "Go on and hurry, then. You must be starving."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Lydia is still feeling a little edgy and she doesn't really know why, so taking way more time in the bathroom than she expected is not really helping easing her nerves. She was supposed to take a quick shower and go help her mom in the kitchen, only she kept being interrupted by phone calls and text messages from friends checking in on her. Well, on Stiles.

Scott called Kira the second he hung up on Lydia, so Lydia barely had time to comb her hair and her phone was already ringing. Her conversation with Kira was brief and more of the same and, in the meantime, Scott must have talked to the Sheriff because when Lydia ended the call with the kitsune, she already had a text from Stiles' dad asking about him, to whom she replied quickly with '_Not sure. He's resting. I'll have him call you later_'. When her phone gives her a rest, Lydia hops in the shower but by the time she's finished, she has a very concerned Melissa to calm down. Even though Stiles is not her son, he kind of is really, so she wants to see him and talk to him and Lydia has to promise she'll make him call her no matter what. There are a few more texts from other members of the pack but Lydia doesn't answer them, knowing that Scott will pass along the message.

Finally able to get to the kitchen without any more interruptions, she finds her mom working on lunch and is surprised when she sees Stiles beside her mother. She was hoping he would get some more sleep. "You're awake," she states dumbfounded.

For a moment there Stiles kind of forgot that it was Lydia's house too. Natalie is being incredibly nice to him and, like she said, helping her is distracting him from his wandering thoughts. Turning his attention to Lydia, Stiles gawks at the sight of her. Her hair is still wet and looks longer than Stiles had ever noticed; she's wearing grey sweatpants and a maroon sweatshirt and it's the most casual Stiles has ever seen her and she looks so small without her heels that he smiles bright. "Yeah, woke up a few minutes ago."

"Stiles is staying for lunch," the older woman explains. "I'll just go make a phone call, I'll be right back." Lydia narrows her eyes at her mom as the woman gets out of the kitchen. Natalie was never one for subtlety.

When Lydia makes her way towards Stiles, he stops what he's doing immediately and meets her halfway. He longs to touch her, to be close to her, and the only explanation he can come up with for anxious he feels is that it might be the tether, because he's had the biggest crush on her for years and he has never felt like this, like only her touch will make everything right. Lydia must feel the same way because she's the one reaching for his hand and stopping midway, afraid that she might be doing something she shouldn't. Stiles takes her hand anyway; it's like a need.

"Hey," he says, blushing a little. It's not like they haven't held hands before, but it feels different.

Lydia doesn't react right away. As soon as Stiles touched her, it felt so much easier to breathe that she ends up looking down at their hands, mesmerized. It must be the tether, she concludes. What else could it be? Staring up at him, she's flustered too. "Hi." He looks a little better, even if not much. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby," he whispers. "No nightmares, no waking up in the middle of the night, no looking around the room afraid there might be an assassin or a supernatural being lurking in the dark either. It's the best I've slept in a while, if I'm being honest." He bites his lower lip nervously because he's sure he slept like that because of her. It has to be the tether, right?

"I'm glad." Lydia smiles and her hand lets go of his grip to caress his cheek, her thumb softly brushing his skin. They both blush harder but Lydia can't help the movement; it's almost instinctive. "You look a little better but I think you still need some more rest. You could have stayed in bed, my mom wouldn't mind."

"It's okay," Stiles says, smiling shyly. "And thank you, for letting me stay."

"You would have done the same thing for me," she murmurs. Without realizing it they got closer and Lydia hadn't noticed until now that Stiles' hands rested on her waist. Involuntarily, Lydia purses her lips. Stiles does the same thing, mirroring Lydia in action and thought.

He could easily lower his head and kiss her; they are that close. Instead, and breaking their gaze, Stiles places the sweetest kiss on her forehead and mutters "Like I said, thank you."

Placing her arms around his waist, she hugs him tight and chuckles. "I'm supposed to be the one comforting you," she murmurs against his chest before looking up at him again.

They seem to be even closer now that his lips are almost brushing hers and Stiles smiles back, one of his hands tucking her wet hair behind her ear. "You are."

They jump apart quickly when Natalie comes back to the kitchen and heads to the stove, acting like she didn't see a thing. Lydia and Stiles both turn scarlet but laugh quietly, sneaking glances at each other and smiling as they start setting up the table.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Stiles had already called his dad when Lydia met both him and Natalie in the kitchen. He can't shake the feeling that he keeps letting his father down and his break up with Malia is just another thing to add to the pile. Stiles didn't say much over the phone; he knows he'll have to hear all about how he just screwed up a perfectly healthy relationship – _yeah, right_ \- when he gets home. On the upside, lunch went well. He can't _say_ that he had fun; it doesn't seem like the right thing to say when someone broke up with him barely 12 hours ago, but for all intents and purposes, Stiles did have fun. Lydia is a lot like Natalie, something that Stiles didn't know, and the woman actually appreciates his jokes and always has a comeback to his sarcasm on the tip of her tongue, much like Lydia. He likes her.

After lunch, Natalie says that she has to meet a friend for coffee; again, not so subtle. Stiles and Lydia are left alone and when they finish cleaning up the kitchen, they start heading towards the living room.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Lydia drags the words a little, not sure of what to expect.

Stiles scratches his neck. "Would you mind if I stayed, at least until dinner?" He starts babbling. "I really don't want to go. I mean, if it's not too much. Maybe I should leave…"

"Stiles," she smiles, "I'll go get some blankets."

Lydia quickly runs upstairs and Stiles sits on the couch waiting for her, suddenly nervous. When she comes back, the feeling vanishes. She sits beside him not too close and gives him a blanket, keeping another one for herself. They curl up on the couch, their legs touching slightly.

"I'm sorry about earlier, in the kitchen," he lets out. "I kissed you and I think I got too close, it was out of line."

"You kissed my forehead, Stiles," she chuckles, holding back the need to roll her eyes at the boy. "I was there too. And I was the one who hugged you."

"Yeah, but…"

"Stiles, I didn't back away, did I?" She waits until he shakes his head. "I don't want your apologies, okay? It's not a big deal." She pauses briefly. "We're friends, right?"

It should be an easy question to answer. Instead, they both blush, abashed. That was so not something just friends do and they both know it. "I uh… Can I try something?" he asks.

She nods reluctantly and waits to see what he has in mind. Stiles slowly reaches for her hand and when he touches her, Lydia's breath catches in her throat and it's there, she knows, whatever it is.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Stiles asks, looking at their hands with a questioning look on his face. "Like if I let go of your hand and then I grab a hold of it again," he demonstrates, "you feel something, like a current is flowing. It's not just in my head, is it?"

Lydia shakes her head and entwines their fingers tentatively. The current seems stronger. "No, I feel it too. And it' not just with the touching, I felt it when we were in the kitchen side by side working on the counters. I think it's the closeness, you know, and maybe the touching enhances it."

"So what do you think? Is it the tether?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I guess. But why now? I haven't felt it before."

"Me neither. I don't know."

"It doesn't feel like it's a bad thing, though."

"And it's not like it feels good, either. It's more like it feels…"

"Right," she whispers. "It feels right." Lydia purses her lips and gives him a small smile, one that he returns wholeheartedly.

Stiles tries not to think too much of it because this is Lydia. Surely a different Lydia from the one he had such a boyish crush on, a much better version of her; more mature, smarter, stronger, more fierce and undoubtedly more beautiful, and she just tangled her fingers with his and told him it feels right. His heart starts beating fast in his chest and his mouth goes dry so he tries his best to fight his impulses. His crush on her may be long gone but his feelings for her aren't; they just got sidetracked. He changes the subject. "Why weren't you at the party last night?"

Lydia looks down at their hands a little saddened. She shouldn't expect him to be interested in her, not when he finally took her off her pedestal and moved on, when he got to know the real Lydia and stepped away to start dating someone else. It's not even right of her to be jealous; she never had Stiles in the first place. She'll just have to settle for his friendship. "I just wasn't in the mood."

"You are always in the mood for a party, Lydia."

"I haven't been in a while…" And she hasn't. Not since Allison, since Aiden, since the Nogitsune, since Malia.

Yet again, he feels guilty for neglecting her over the werecoyote. He knows that Lydia has been distant from the pack but he couldn't get through to her, she wouldn't open up about it. Now is as good time as any to give it another try. "Is everything okay?" For a second he sees a sparkle in her eyes, like they lit up, but a moment later it's gone.

She lets go of his hand and starts fiddling nervously on her lap, giving him a fake smile and hoping he'll leave it at that. "Yes, of course."

He knows better. "Lydia…"

She looks down at her hands and answers a little more sharply than she intends to. "We're supposed to be talking about you, not me."

"Yeah, right. Sorry," he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

Lydia knows that she made him uncomfortable so she takes it back. It's not really how she meant to say it but she's struggling to find the right words. "No, I'm sorry. I just… I don't want to talk about me." She gets a little closer and takes his hand again, smiling apologetically, her cheeks turning a little rosy. "This right now, it's about you, okay? You don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to, and honestly I just suck at letting people know that I'm here for them but I am, Stiles. I'm here for you."

Stiles smiles first and then starts laughing quietly, rubbing his eyes in the process. "You should tell that to yourself from three years ago. That Lydia Martin would be pissed to know that you're here right now, holding my hand and making me feel better. She would have loved that," he says sarcastically, teasing her, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject again so that he doesn't say the wrong thing, namely what he thinks she doesn't want to hear.

"Hey, don't be mean now," she chuckles, smacking his arm. "I didn't know you back then."

Involuntarily, he rubs his eyes again and yawns. "Well, I'm glad we're here nonetheless."

He gives her his goofy grin and she laughs, looking back at him fondly. God, she missed it. "Me too, but I think you should rest some more."

"I'm not tired."

"Yes, you are." He makes a face and she laughs again. "You want to yawn again, don't you?"

He was trying to hold it in to prove his point. "Yeah." He yawns. Lydia gives him a triumphant look. "But I'm not _that_ tired," he replies.

"But you are. Why don't you lay down for a bit?" she offers.

"You don't mind?"

"I thought we'd already established that you're here for me to comfort you, so shut up and do as I tell you," she says playfully.

He has a witty answer for her but decides to let her win; she's right after all. Plus it's a Saturday afternoon, it's not like he has anything better to do. Moving around, he lays down on the couch and stretches. Lydia moves too, encouraging him to rest his head on her lap. When he gives her a suspicious look, she simply says "What? I like playing with your hair."

He sees her blush at the comment but chooses not to say anything, instead pulling his blanket over himself again and relaxing into the couch and into Lydia, who is now running her hand through his hair lazily. He could do this more often.

"I missed this," he murmurs, looking up at her green eyes. "I mean, not this." Stiles gestures between them. "No, not this. We never did this…" He starts mumbling but he can't help it; eloquence went out the door when Lydia Martin started playing with his hair. "Not that I wouldn't miss this if we've done this before, of course I would. I- I missed us, like hanging out, just the two of us, you know? Not like…"

She cuts him off. "Stiles?"

He shuts up immediately. "Sorry."

She chuckles and smiles. "I missed you too."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lydia is listening to Stiles mindfully.

"It's not like it was that big of a deal, you know? It might have seemed like it to those who didn't know, I guess. I just wish she wouldn't have done it in front of everyone. It would have hurt less."

It's almost dinner time and Stiles had taken a nap somewhere in the middle of the afternoon. Once he woke up, he gathered the courage and told Lydia what happened with Malia. Lydia has been trying to comment as little as she can, not wanting to give too much of her opinion away.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" she asks.

"I was embarrassed, I don't know…" Stiles bites his lower lip and tries to hide his face from Lydia but her hand finds his chin in a quick movement, making him face her. They are curled up on the couch not too close to one another, hiding underneath the blankets to get away from the cold.

"Why would you be ashamed of doing the right thing, Stiles? You're the one who always does the right thing…"

"What would you or everyone else have thought of me if I told you guys that I haven't been with Malia in over a month? That I was just with her to help her adapt, playing pretend, uh? I don't need your pity," he says sharply.

Lydia knows how selfless Stiles is and that it probably is both his greater virtue and weakness. Seeing him diminish himself because of that stupid werecoyote… Lydia sits straighter.

"You listen to me, Stiles. We care about you, all of us, and we would have supported you, no matter what. And if you say another word about that '_it's progress_' nonsense, I swear to god I'm gonna smack you. Are we understood?" He nods, surprised at her frankness. "Her inability for most things, which I'm sure you're aware it's not really as bad as she put it, it's no excuse for what she did to you. She should know by now what's socially acceptable and what isn't, and you know she knows it. What she did, making out with that guy in front of everyone at the party and throw it in your face? She did it on purpose, conscious of what it would do to you. Don't you dare make excuses for her, Stiles. You're smarter than that."

He knows that Lydia is right. "I just… I couldn't stay with her like she wanted me to, I'm not that kind of guy, but I couldn't stay away either. And I'm not good at this. How could I be? She was my first. I had literally zero experience with relationships and stuff before she came along and it's not like I'm much better now. I don't know what I'm doing…" The last sentence comes out as a whisper.

Lydia's heart falters for the second time that afternoon. The first time was when Stiles told her he stopped hanging out with Malia and seeing her as his girlfriend when he started losing his patience over her lack of a filter and disinterest in most things human; there's only so much he could take. Also, of course, when the girl realized he didn't have feelings for her - or at least not the right feelings -, that maybe he might have real feelings for someone else. If Stiles was talking about Lydia when he said that, Lydia wouldn't know; he made sure to hide his emotions incredibly well. Lucky for her, Stiles couldn't hear her heartbeat when he told her that.

As he elaborated, Lydia found out that the problem was that Malia didn't accept his terms in the slightest, so Stiles felt guilty every time the girl went to him as his girlfriend and he had to turn her down because he couldn't do that, betray his feelings and his morals like that. It led to constant arguing and Stiles continuously trying to tell her they were not together anymore, not like she wanted to. Malia kept insisting that he was her mate; he was supposed to be there for her. He tried to explain that's not how it works for humans but she only kept pretending she wasn't listening. His guilt almost drove Stiles insane, yet again, mostly from the lack of sleep and stress.

He tried to make it up to her with knowledge, teaching and helping the girl the best he could to redeem himself. Stiles spent most of his nights awake with the werecoyote - who has a much bigger endurance than Stiles, being supernatural and all - over the last month, mostly helping her study and still giving her hints on how to live as a human. She certainly took advantage of it to drain him out as payback because he has barely been sleeping three hours a night, thus why he has been looking so tired, and Malia couldn't care less about him. That much was obvious when, at Liam's party last night, she started making out with some guy, and when asked about it she made a scene in front of everyone, Stiles included, saying that if Stiles doesn't know how to handle her, she'd find someone that does. Apparently it was not even her first time cheating on him. Stiles got out of the party as quickly as he could.

Lydia held his hand as he told her everything. He didn't cry this time. "It's just…" he continues, "we could have just parted ways and she could do whatever the hell she wanted to. The last time we had uh… You know," he scratches the back of his neck, flushed, "it was like two months ago and I think the last time I kissed her was over a month and a half, give or take. I don't even remember how it was. I don't get why she kept telling everyone I was her boyfriend when I really wasn't, not for a while anyway, so at least last night she didn't really cheat on me, but that doesn't make me feel any better either. I don't know…"

"Hey, she's not your responsibility. You came clean with her and told her how you felt. That's more than most of the guys I know would do, okay? Telling her you couldn't be her boyfriend anymore for the right reasons and still managing to try and stay friends and help her out… I think you did the right thing and that you knew exactly what you were doing, Stiles." Lydia offers him a reassuring smile that he returns, pursing his lips. "If that…" Lydia takes a deep breath. She wants to add a '_bitch_' somewhere in there, but it's probably for the best that she doesn't. "Malia, if she can't see that, then it's her loss. And I'm so sorry that she put you through that. You deserve better." She pauses and has to restrain herself from squeezing his hand. "I'm… We're glad to have you back, nonetheless."

Stiles appreciates that Lydia didn't say anything bitter about Malia; he knows exactly what she meant to say and he's not there yet. "You guys were a little obvious about it, you know? The pack, I mean."

She feigns ignorance. No one in the pack was exactly thrilled with his choice for a first girlfriend, let alone the banshee. "What do you mean?"

"C'mon Lydia. There wasn't even one of you who'd want to know about how our relationship went or anything. None of you were very supportive…" He looks at her expectant, waiting for what she has to say about it. For someone who always has a reply ready, Lydia had been oddly quiet about his relationship with Malia ever since the beginning. But Stiles, of course, noticed the way the redhead looked at them, all the times she rolled her eyes at the couple. He just never figured what to do with that. The strawberry blonde has been a mystery to him his whole life.

Lydia doesn't say anything. When almost a minute goes by and Stiles raises an eyebrow at her, she clears her throat and speaks almost in a hum. "I don't really have an answer for that." Because she's biased, she should add.

He doesn't break the gaze. "Should I know why?" Both their faces are red and Stiles' stomach feels weird all of a sudden but he had to ask, nervous or not.

Lydia stutters. "I… I-" Her phone rings and she couldn't be more relieved that it did. What would she tell him? Picking up her phone, she sees that Melissa is calling. "Shit, I forgot. You need to talk to Melissa. She's been trying to get to you since this morning."

Stiles takes the phone from her hand and gets up from the couch. Before he walks away, however, he looks back at Lydia. "We're not done here." Turning around again, he heads for the kitchen to take the call, leaving an astounded Lydia behind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Stiles' conversation with Melissa was brief. In the meantime, Lydia hadn't moved an inch so when Stiles gets back to the living room, the redhead is exactly where he left her. Her fingers are tapping erratically on her lap and her gaze is fixed somewhere on the wall in front of her, focusing nowhere specific. She's lost in thought.

"I have to go," he says, startling her. "Melissa is making me dinner. She said that if I'm not home in 20 minutes, Scott will come and drag me. My dad will meet us there." He pauses. "Do you uh… Do you wanna come?"

Lydia is nervous. She doesn't look him in the eyes but takes the phone from him, electricity running through them both when their hands touch. "I think I'll stay. You should get going." Lydia gets up from the couch and, turning her back to him, she starts folding the blankets.

"I'm sure Melissa was already counting on you, come on."

"I'll just sit this one out." She flashes him a small smile, glancing at him briefly. "They'll want to talk to you. Scott, your dad and Melissa. Go on, you don't want to be late." She hopes she's not sounding too bitchy but she's really not sure of what she's supposed to do. Stiles will want to continue their conversation, and it will probably lead to either some very awkward glances or they'll end up saying things they might regret. Maybe both. "We can talk tomorrow," she offers.

"Lydia." He reaches for her wrist to get her attention. As soon as he touches her though, Lydia stops what she's doing and turns to him, looking down at her arm. Stiles follows her gaze. That damn thing, current or flow or whatever it is, is strong. The feeling increases when Stiles doesn't let go and gets closer to her. "Please come," he pleads, giving her puppy dog eyes and pouting slightly, getting even closer to her with every word. "I need you and I miss you. I miss us." Stiles doesn't even know why he's moving towards her or being so bold. This is Lydia, the girl who could tear his dreams apart with one word, one gesture, one look. Still, it feels to him like he's doing exactly what he should be doing, even if instinctively and absent-mindedly. By now, his hand already let go of her wrist and slid down to entwine his fingers with hers, while his other hand moved up to caress her cheek. He almost whispers to her lips. "Stay with me, please."

He had her right when he called her name the way he did, as enticing as it sounded to her. And now he's too close, so close that Lydia holds her breath. If she looks up at his eyes she knows she'll give in and kiss him, so instead she looks straight at his chest. She hadn't noticed that her free hand already rested there. When his thumb moves to brush her lower lip softly, she loses it. "Stiles, I don't know if we should." She's just trying to say the right thing. Even though he's technically been single for almost two months, it wasn't the easiest time of his life. In reality though, she's biting her lower lip and tugging at his shirt with both fists, now that he let go of her hand to place his own at her lower back, pulling her to him.

Brown meets green when he looks down at her intensely, their noses bumping clumsily as an endearing smile escapes his lips. "Why not?"

Her mind goes blank. There's not one single reason crossing her mind, especially when he's looking at her like that. If she didn't know better, she'd say her heart was about to break free from beating so fast. She can't help but smile back.

He shortens the already small distance between them but his lips barely touch hers because her phone starts ringing again, making them jump apart promptly. Stiles chuckles as she reaches for it, red all over his cheeks. "We need to get rid of your phone," he teases.

Lydia smirks. "Shut up." As she checks the device, Stiles gets closer again and rests his hands on her waist. "It's Kira," Lydia says, blushing when he nods for her to answer the call with a smug look on his face, leaning down and breathing along the skin of her neck, making her shiver. Even if distracted, she takes the call. "Hey, Kira." On the other side of the line, the kitsune starts babbling about all things Stiles and starts asking questions that Lydia can only hope he isn't listening to. "Can I call you back?" Lydia asks, trying to keep her voice steady because the boy is most certainly working her up. Placing her free hand on his cheek, Lydia makes Stiles face her again but he just pulls her closer. He laughs and Lydia covers his mouth so that Kira won't know he's right there. Too late, of course. "Yes, he's here," Lydia tells her friend as she rolls her eyes, attempting to hide a smile and failing.

He kisses Lydia's hand before she can't take it away. "Hi, Kira," he says loud enough for the other girl to hear.

Kira, assuming she might be interrupting something from the amusing tone of both their voices, decides she'd better catch Lydia alone for further inquiry. She ends up just asking the strawberry blonde if she's having dinner at Stiles' house too. Lydia pauses before answering, but what is there to think about really? "I'll see you there."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Dinner didn't go so well. They drove to his house mostly silent but amused, blushing often when they got a glimpse of the other looking their way. So yes, arriving at his house looking slightly infatuated definitely did not help Stiles' case. The others didn't stay for long after dinner, but long enough for the Sheriff to yell at Stiles and leave the house to get back to the Station, and for Melissa to comfort him. Stiles cried in her arms like he has never done before, not with her, but boy did he need someone like her in his life right now. With Scott and Kira he just talked while Lydia held his hand again. They stayed for over an hour and it felt to Stiles like a weight was being lifted off of his soul, like he could see clearer. What the couple thought about the break up they didn't share, but Scott promised they'd talk more when Stiles felt ready. After that, Lydia and Stiles are left alone for the second time that day. Stiles looks beat.

"I can stay, if you want," she suggests.

"Thanks. I was gonna ask you to, anyway."

Lydia is so mad at the Sheriff that she could yell at the man. She likes him and has grown used to being around him, but the way he reprimanded Stiles… Yeah, Lydia might have a word or two to share with his dad. Lydia is sitting on Stiles' bed watching him while he's looking attentively at his board. Stiles is upset, of course he is, so he tries to distract himself by getting his mind off of things. Several minutes pass before he talks and turns to her. When he does, Lydia is leaning against his headboard, patiently waiting for him to say something about what happened downstairs. She won't force him to talk.

"I think we need to combine theories, you know, mine and yours," he says pointing at the board, trying not to think about the events of the past two hours. "We should never have stopped working together," he whispers, more to himself than for Lydia to hear.

"We can do it tomorrow. I'll bring my notes and we can check them out, brainstorm and stuff."

He leans against his desk and rubs his temples, trying to make his headache go away, his eyes closing shut. He stays still for so long that Lydia gets up from the bed and walks up to him, the need to make him feel better taking over her. "Hey, you okay?" she asks, cupping his cheeks. She can feel the damned current on her fingertips.

Stiles reacts. He doesn't think it through, he just does it. He leans down and kisses her. She's surprised at first but reciprocates almost immediately getting closer to him, chest meeting chest. Their lips part easily, tongues tasting the other for the first time. Stiles ends up sitting on the edge of the desk and pulling Lydia to him, his legs wrapping around her waist, his hands moving to her neck. Hers are on his hair now, pulling him down. Even in this position he's taller than her, not that she's complaining. They kiss softly, slowly healing wounds. It's the most carefree they have felt in a long time.

The kiss is not long but they still part breathless. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that," he murmurs.

"Did you feel that?" Lydia asks, incredulous, her fingers touching her lips like the sensation is still there.

"The pull?"

"Yeah."

They both felt it. Their passive urge to be with the other vanishing as soon as their lips touched, all of their worries gone for as long as their kiss lasted. The way their skin grazed like it if they had done it a million times before. How they got drunk on the other's taste, touch, breath.

He nods. "I don't know why I did that. I just…"

"You just had to. I think I get it." She gives him a small smile, blushing slightly.

He feels guilty. "God, I'm such a mess. Maybe you shouldn't stay. I…"

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, alright?" Lydia kisses his cheek and gets away from his grip, holding out her hand. "Now, are we gonna watch Star Wars or what? I might have to kill you if I hear you whine again because most of us haven't watched it."

He looks at her like he's seeing the sun for the first time. "You'd watch it with me?"

"Not if you'll stay there all night. Come on."

His fingers entwine automatically with hers. She has rosy cheeks, she's smiling at him and her lips are red and puffy from his kiss so yes, he steals a kiss on her cheek too. She laughs quietly. "You're gonna love it."

"I doubt that," she teases as they trail downstairs to his living room.

Sitting on the couch, Stiles can't seem to get his eyes off of her. "Thanks for this." He wets his lips briefly, lowering his gaze then. "Do you hmm… Do you think we can talk, you know, about things, everything? Tomorrow?"

She nods in acceptance and smiles back. "Definitely."

They don't stay awake for long. Stiles is tired and when she catches him closing his eyes, Lydia nudges him gently and makes him walk upstairs. Curled up on his bed, they fall asleep quickly to another dreamless night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Stiles opened the door for Scott a little after 8 am; he had texted him before so that they could talk. Lydia is fast asleep on his bed, so the boys move to the kitchen for breakfast.

Stiles can't lie. Waking up to Lydia sleeping beside him might be the best thing that has ever happened in his life but no, he's so not gonna share that with Scott. He saw the way his best friend looked at them apprehensive last night and the last thing Stiles needs right now is another lecture. The boys sit at Stiles' kitchen table with their bowls of cereals in hand and relax, eating while they talk.

"So how are you? Really."

"I'm not sure," Stiles answers honestly. "I just… The break up could have been less public and stupid. That's what I got for trying to be the good guy, I guess. Karma has a twisted sense of humour, I must say."

"It wasn't your fault, Stiles. You know that."

"I know." Stiles lowers his head. "It's just too many things at once. It's senior year and I've been trying my hardest to keep up but well, Malia, so now I have to work even harder. And it's all the supernatural shit that keeps popping up. And my dad. And Lydia. And I miss my mom and it's all just a big mess and since I already lost my sanity once, I'd like to hold on to the one I have right now, thank you very much. But god, someone is for sure testing me."

"Your dad did go kind of overboard last night, dude."

"Yeah, a little."

"No, Stiles, not a little. A lot. You should talk to him."

They have had this discussion before. "I'm just tired of it, Scott. He doesn't trust me or believe in me. I don't know what else to do."

"You two need to sit down and talk, Stiles, or else it'll stay the same."

"I've tried talking to him, Scott, several times. He doesn't listen. He still thinks I'm the little kid that lost his mom. Well, guess what? I grew up!"

"You know there are a lot of things that he still doesn't know about what we do. He doesn't know about all the things you've done for us, for everyone…"

"I don't think he cares. I'm so sick of it. Mom listened, okay? And it might have been years ago and I was just a kid back then, but she listened. And it still feels like it was yesterday. I mean, your mom almost listens to me more than my dad these days…" Stiles exhales deeply and blushes embarrassed, remembering the way he had broken down on Melissa's arms the night before. "And uh… By the way, sorry about last night. I kind of took over your mom…"

"It's fine, Stiles. You're my brother, man." Stiles feels a little lighter already.

"Yeah, but I don't think that gives us the right to share her, you know?" he says, narrowing his eyes a bit.

They both chuckle. "Well, I don't think she minded that much." Scott smiles at Stiles reassuringly.

Stiles smiles bright. "Thanks, bro."

"And uh… Lydia?"

Stiles tries to keep his cool. "What about her?"

"You guys seemed pretty close."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Why did you go to her? After what happened, I mean?"

"I don't know." Stiles pauses and Scott waits until he continues. "She gets me, you know? And it's probably the tether and the whole sacrifice thing, but she gets me and I get her. It's different with her. You are my best friend, Scott, no offense, but it's just not the same."

"I can hold your hand too," Scott teases remembering last night.

Stiles frowns but laughs. "Shut up."

"So you two are good!" Scott says enthusiastic, trying to get more details. Kira wouldn't shut up about it.

"Yeah, I guess we are."

"How good?"

"Will you stop?" Stiles can't help it; he blushes.

"I just… I want to make sure you two don't rush into anything, that's all."

"We're not. It's just easier with her, okay? She makes me feel better."

"I don't need the sordid details or anything. The general idea is enough." Scott laughs loudly at the face Stiles is making, more so when Stiles chokes on his cereal and the Alpha has to pat him on the back. "Wow, she makes you feel _that_ good?"

Stiles hides his face on his hands, cheeks as red as they can probably get. "Oh my god, Scott. I'm gonna kill you."

"Hey guys."

The boys stop abruptly and stare at Lydia like they got caught red-handed. Lydia, who's by the kitchen door yawning and rubbing her eyes like a little kid, pouting slightly, doesn't seem to notice.

"Lydia!" Scott tries, and fails, to hide his excitement.

"Hey." That's all Stiles manages to get out of his mouth. Lydia stretches and god, Stiles wants to die because he can't stop looking at her and he knows that Scott is watching him. "You uh- Did you sleep well?"

"My mattress is better than yours," she says bitterly as she walks towards the fridge. Morning Lydia is a little grumpy.

"Yeah, I can't really argue with you there," Stiles comments before he can stop himself.

Scott wants to burst out laughing because this can't be happening. Their best friends _are not_ discussing which of their beds is better to sleep on. "Should I try it too for comparison or is it VIP only?"

Lydia sends him a glare that makes him regret it immediately. "Really, Scott?"

The boy flinches. "Sorry."

Stiles, entertained, grins at the strawberry blonde. "Geez, you're in a good mood this morning."

She directs him the same glare she gave the Alpha. "Saying that won't make it better."

Stiles looks down, uncomfortable. "Right, sorry."

She settles for yoghurt and sits opposite Stiles and at Scott's left. "No, I'm sorry. The later I get up, the more cranky I get. It's your own damn fault if I got so comfortable."

Stiles tries to hide a smirk but Lydia sees it and they both end up blushing hard. Scott feels like a third wheel. "Well, this is fun but we have to talk about tomorrow."

"Do we?" Stiles whines, pushing his bowl forward, finished with his breakfast. "Do we really?"

"Yes, Stiles, we do," Lydia says more harshly than she intended to. "I mean, you're gonna see Malia again tomorrow. First day back at school after the break up and all that."

"I need to know what you want me to do with her, as part of the pack, you know," Scott says, looking expectant at his best friend.

"I think I should stay out of it. You're the Alpha. It's your call, Scott."

"I don't know if I want her to stay if it makes you uncomfortable. You're my second in command, Stiles."

"I'll accept whichever decision you make. I just really can't help you, Scott. This one is on you. Sorry, buddy."

Scott is not sure if he should ask, but "Lydia?"

"If Stiles is not giving you a straight answer, neither am I."

"I'm asking you because you're the smartest one in the pack." _Not because you like Stiles_, Scott thinks to himself.

"I'm sorry, Scott. I'm biased, okay?" She admits, her cheeks turning slightly rosy again. "I can't give you a rational answer because I don't have one, not on this matter."

At that, Stiles and Lydia avoid each other's glances purposefully. Scott gives up. "Alright. Then I guess I'll have to talk to her. We don't even know if she wants to stay in the pack, anyway."

"I'm not sure she will," Stiles lets out. "If we're being honest, she was with us because of me. She'd probably leave you guys for dead in a heartbeat."

"Yeah," Scott concedes. Everyone knows it's true. "I say if she wants to stay in the pack, we'll vote and see what everyone has to say. If not, problem solved." The other two nod in agreement. "What about tomorrow, what do you want us to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Malia, Stiles. Do you want us to say something to her or back off? Everyone's gonna be gossiping in those hallways."

"I don't know." Stiles is a little exasperated. "I never got broken up with before, remember?"

"I think we should stay together, someone with Stiles at all times, just in case. She's still a little too wild for my taste. I wouldn't want her to do something to you," Lydia says, pointing at Stiles.

"I'm human but I'm not defenceless."

Lydia continues, regardless of his remark. "I wasn't finished. Also, you'll feel better if you're not alone when everyone looks at you like you're some kind of cursed toy, pity in their eyes, okay? I've been there. It's not easy nor pleasant. They'll judge you and whisper behind your back and you'll probably feel like shit, so we'll be there to back you up," she adds smiling, putting the empty yoghurt container on the table and cleaning her spoon with a napkin.

"Wow, that makes me feel so much better. Thank you," Stiles says with a scowl.

"Lydia's right," Scott interjects.

"Alright, then uh…" Stiles pauses to think for a moment. "Then we won't do anything and see how it plays out. Maybe Malia won't acknowledge my existence, that'd be cool." Stiles ends the sentence grinning like a fool and Scott and Lydia look at him like he said a blasphemy. "What? Shouldn't I be the one to judge when I'm good to make a joke on it?" He does have a point so they laugh. Stiles grins, feeling stupidly proud of himself.

"So what are you guys up to today?" Scott asks.

"We we're thinking research. It's been a while," Lydia says, glancing at Stiles like she's about to melt. "Wanna join us?"

Stiles looks at her in disbelief and then at Scott, frowning. "Yes, Scott, please join us. We're dying to have you," a sarcastic tone in his voice. Lydia throws the spoon his way and it hits him in the chest. Stiles pretends to be hurt, Lydia purses her lips not to laugh.

"There's no way I'm staying alone with you two," the werewolf teases and Lydia slaps his arm. By now, Scott looks like a happy puppy. "What if we had lunch? I have plans with Kira for the morning, but maybe we could all have lunch together and then discuss theories on that weird were-whatever we found last week?"

"Sure," Lydia answers promptly to Stiles' dismay. "My place? We can order something."

"Yeah, sounds good. I have to go, I'm picking up Kira in ten." Scott gets up and starts walking away, grin in place. "I'll see you later then. You two don't do anything I wouldn't do."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Stiles and Lydia decided to leave for her house as soon as Stiles takes a shower. In the meantime, Lydia stays downstairs to clean up the kitchen. He tried to tell her that she didn't have to do that but Lydia insisted; she knew that the Sheriff would be up soon and she intended on taking advantage of the opportunity to talk to him without Stiles listening in. Lydia didn't tell the boys but she had overheard their conversation about Stiles' dad.

"Good morning, Sheriff."

"Hey kiddo. Oh you don't have to do that," the man says, gesturing towards Lydia, who has already washed the dishes and is now drying them by the sink.

"It's fine, I don't mind. Sorry for spending the night. I didn't want to leave Stiles by himself."

The man nods in acknowledgement. "I figured that you'd stay. As long as you two were responsible, I-"

She interrupts him before he says something they'll both be embarrassed about. "Stiles fell asleep while watching Star Wars. We went to bed right after. Nothing happened."

The Sheriff looks shocked. "He fell asleep? Are you sure?" Lydia nods. "That's a first."

"Can I say something?" She dries her hands and leans on the counter facing the man. "I'm not sure if it's my place to do it, but I think there are some things you should know."

He blushes, scratching the back of his neck. "If it's about last night, I'm sorry you had to see that. And if you're thinking of giving me a lecture, trust me. Melissa already covered that." She did. As soon as the woman left the teens by themselves the night before, Melissa had stopped by the Station and refused to leave until the Sheriff promised he'd make things right with his son. By the way she had yelled at the man, some of his deputies probably assumed something else was going on between them.

"I'll give you an advice then, in the lines of what Mrs. McCall already told you, I assume. I may not be the right person to judge or to have some sort of say in it, but Stiles is fragile. And I don't mean it in the wrong way. He's one of the strongest people I've ever met. He's brave and bold, smart and astute. And he's genuine and caring and kind and he worries about everyone and he's always there when we need him, no questions asked. He's everything. And it takes a toll on him and he hides it, like for some reason he has to keep it to himself. And he's so good at it that most times we don't notice, or if we do he'll brush it off and we'll end up forgetting something ever happened. Being so strong makes him fragile and I don't know if he can keep it hidden this time. He looks up to you and he expects you to listen. You should hear him out, for both your sakes. I think you owe him that much."

They stay quiet for a while, pondering her words. The sheriff only whispers. "You know that part of what's going on is about you too, right?"

Lydia nods, pursing her lips. "I'm making my amends. You should make yours."

"Fair enough. I'll talk to him tonight," the man mumbles as Lydia starts walking past him to leave the kitchen. "And Lydia," she turns around, "thank you."

xxxxxxxxxx

Lydia wanders through the hallways of Stiles' house in a very slow pace, her mind somewhere else. She did not just practically blurt out to his dad that she's in love with Stiles, right? Where the hell did she even find so many qualities in him? Sure, she can find more. Funny, cute, endearing, slightly annoying, adorable, attractive… No. no, no. This is not happening!

She stumbles twice on her way upstairs and forgets to make a turn, almost walking into a wall. By the time she gets to his room, she's focusing intently on how she's supposed to place her feet on the ground, step by step, one foot in front of the other, looking down not to fall. How stupid is that even? It's so stupid that that's the reason why she doesn't notice that Stiles is already in his room only in his boxers, looking for something to wear.

Stiles knows something is wrong almost immediately because Lydia just walked into his room, didn't knock on the door and is looking down at her feet like she lost something and is looking for it, a strange look on her face. It seems like she didn't even see him.

"Lydia?"

She jumps so quickly she might have even let out a squeal, she's not sure. Her cheeks turn to a shameful shade of pink. "Stiles, what the hell?" She starts breathing rapidly. "What are you doing here?" Wow, that sounded ridiculous even to her.

"Hmm… I could ask you the same thing because last time I checked this was my room."

"God, you scared me." Lydia places one hand on her chest like that will make her breathe better, maybe give her some clarity, she hopes.

"Then I guess it's a good thing you didn't come in like 30 seconds ago, because I was completely naked," he chuckles. If Lydia was already blushing, now she's completely red, rendered speechless. Stiles is quick to put on some trousers; mostly because it's cold, partly because he's self-conscious. It's not like it bothers him that pretty much every guy from the pack has this need to show their naked selves to the general public, and it's also not like Stiles isn't fit because he is. He just doesn't really see the point of having to show off for everyone. Noticing that Lydia is in the exact same spot she was a minute ago, Stiles raises an eyebrow, curious. "What, am I too hot for you?"

Lydia gasps, looking at him like she's never seen Stiles before in her life, checking him out from head to toe. She doesn't even hide it. Stiles has to call her name twice before she even realizes he is talking to her. Her coherent thoughts are failing her. "W- What?"

Stiles feels utterly exposed at the way she's studying him so he puts on a t-shirt and a hoodie, running his fingers through his hair in a failed attempt to make it more presentable. While he did so, Lydia got closer and she is still looking at him completely dazzled. "Lydia, are you okay?"

She barely murmurs. "I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" he asks, amused.

Her voice comes out hoarse. "I don't know." She really doesn't because it has to be the tether. The second she laid eyes on him she felt the urge to jump him right there and it's taking her all she's not to do something about it. Yes, she had noticed how good looking he was before, and yes, she had already thought about him in that mildly dirty little mind of hers but never has it felt like this. Like he's the ocean and she's desperate to drown. And she's really, really desperate.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

She's looking at his lips so intensely that Stiles licks them involuntarily. He notices her breath catch in her throat and he knows something is going on, he can feel it, like he's pulling her in and he doesn't even know how or why. She's getting so close that if Stiles didn't know better, he'd say she's about to make a move. "Lydia?"

She shortens the distance between them and gets on her tiptoes with deliberate moves to kiss him. Her lips move against his so softly and slowly that she stops breathing; she has never kissed anyone like that before. Aside from him, that is, in the locker room. It's not urgent like the night before, but the need, that burning feeling, is similar. The same way Stiles felt like he had to kiss her, Lydia has to kiss him. It's so simple that Lydia sees it as logical. When they part, her uneasiness is gone and he can't feel it anymore either.

Stiles blushes slightly, smiling down at Lydia, amusement all across his features. "Feeling better?"

He does get her. No one has ever understood Lydia like Stiles does, but then again it might be the tether. She licks her lips. "Yes, I think so," she murmurs, smiling shyly. "Sorry. I don't know why I did that." They both do. That damned tether is not giving them much of a choice.

She's looking up at him with rosy cheeks and her eyes are speaking to him more than they ever did. She's still so close that he would only need to lean down. Stiles has to change the subject or he'll end up kissing her again and now he can't use their restlessness as an excuse. "We should get going."

At his remark, Lydia assumes she shouldn't have done it and steps away from him promptly, looking down at the ground nervous and tucking her hair behind her ears. "I'm really sorry, Stiles."

"Hey, it's okay." He lifts her chin up and, at his touch, the current is there again and he really, really wants to do something about it. He knows Lydia can sense it too; there's that look in her eyes again. Stiles takes his hand back. "Okay, maybe no more touching."

Stiles rubs the back of his neck and Lydia huffs silently, frustrated. She takes another step back. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Let's just go." She smiles trying to dissipate the tension but unintentionally holds out her hand to find his, only to start walking away from him right after, embarrassed. _No touching, no touching_, she has to remind herself. As for Stiles, he almost places his hand on her lower back when they're walking down the stairs before physically having to restrain himself not to.

Yeah, it's not going to be easy.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Not touching might be the worst idea they have ever had because now that they sort of agreed that they can't, they want to. And bad. To the point that they are literally walking 10 feet away from each other just to be sure. It'd be uncomfortable if they were having a conversation separated like this as they walk from Lydia's driveway to her bedroom, but they're not. In fact, they haven't shared a word since they left his house and that only makes everything weirder.

Lydia wants to say something, apologize again, but her words are failing her. What is she supposed to say, anyway? _I'm sorry that I kissed you, but I wanted to_? Yeah, that would turn out great. Okay, she can admit that part of it was definitely the tether, or at least it was what started her movements. She felt restless, she had to do something about it, and it wasn't her. But she's positive (maybe not completely) that by the time she got on her tiptoes back in his bedroom it was her, and only her, who wanted to kiss him, no other elements involved. But she couldn't stop herself. She can blame it on the tether, _right_?

On the other hand, Stiles is trying, and failing, not to look at her but she's right there, walking just a few feet in front of him, even if out of his immediate reach. He's just grateful that she's still wearing yesterday's clothes because if she were to be wearing a skirt as they are climbing the stairs, Stiles would probably lose it. Still, he gets to look at her ass and it's not working that well for him either. He has to dig his nails on the palms of his hands just to make sure he behaves.

Lydia goes hide in her bathroom almost immediately with the excuse of having to take a shower. Of course she was already gonna do it, but it's mostly to escape the awkwardness of the whole situation. In the meantime, Stiles offers to take a look at her research downstairs as he waits for her; there's no way he'll be in her bedroom when she comes out wrapped in a towel. By the time she finds him in the living room, it's like he took over the place, sheets of paper spread all around him on the dining room table along with a few open books. He's fiddling with coloured markers on one of his hands and holding a pen with the other. Post its are everywhere. He almost seems entertained with the whole thing, moving on his seat to flip a page or scribble a note somewhere. He's in his element.

"Having fun?"

Stiles, being Stiles, is startled by her sudden appearance behind him and the markers end up falling to the floor. Lydia moves to help him pick them up but he's quicker, as to avoid having to touch Lydia in any way. She seems to get the message and goes sit across from him.

He pretends nothing happened. Stiles feels anxious, so he tries to disguise it with a little banter. "I see you adopted my colouring system," he says with a grin, pointing to her notes and the bestiary, where there are red, yellow, green and blue post its marking whatever she considered worth taking a good look at. "It's helpful, right?"

She blushes. "Shut up."

Stiles purses his lips, amused, and gestures to the bestiary. "Care to explain?"

Lydia gets right on it; she's edgy too. "Related to our most recent supernatural threat, I used red where I found some evil creature that might resemble the one we found and green when the creature I looked up is not so much maleficent, yet relatable for some reason."

"There's only three greens to like twenty reds," he points out. Lydia narrows her eyes at him. "Alright. Yellow?"

Lydia avoids his eyes carefully like she got caught. "Oh, it's not related to the investigation."

Stiles doesn't seem to notice, at least right away. "And blue?"

"I used it for entries that caught my attention because there's something interesting about them. Not necessarily related to our investigation or anything. The bestiary is just fascinating."

"Why blue?" He shouldn't ask but it escaped him.

Lydia shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know, I just like it."

_Right_, he thinks to himself. "Wait. Then what are you marking with yellow? Is there something else going on?"

He looks genuinely interested and it shouldn't matter, so Lydia answers promptly. "Possible matches for whatever Parrish is. We still haven't figured it out."

"Oh." Yes, Stiles was aware that the Deputy and the banshee had become somewhat acquainted over the past few months. He just never felt like it was his place to ask about it even if he really wanted to know. His grin vanishes quickly. "Are you…" Nope, better not go there. Stiles shakes his head slightly as if the action will make his thoughts disappear. It doesn't work. "Do you two spend a lot of time together? Researching, of course."

She's not sure if he's asking because, well, he's Stiles or, you know, other reasons. "Mm… Some time, I guess. He still doesn't get a lot of what the bestiary is about but he's learning." Lydia doesn't even know why she's feeling the need to explain herself. "I usually visit him at the Station if I find something I think may be important. He stops by if he comes up with a theory or finds out about a new ability."

He shouldn't ask. After all, it's none of his business, right? Problem is he has to. He literally has the need to pop the damn question or it's like he can't breathe. This tether thing is getting too out of control for his liking. Stiles deliberately chooses not to look at her, afraid it will make everything worse. "Are you guys…? I mean, are you two…?"

"What, Stiles?" _Why do you care?_ Lydia senses it too, a heaviness in her throat, the need to push him over the edge and make him voice his intents.

"You know what, never mind." They can feel the tension between them rise with each sentence.

"No. What it is?" She looks peeved.

"It's nothing." Nervous, he gets up and starts walking around the table to make his way to the kitchen. "I'll uh… I'll go grab a glass of water, I'll be right back."

Lydia gets up and blocks his way, standing right in front of him. "You are not going anywhere, Stiles. What were you going to ask?"

His mouth is getting drier by the second and it's not from thirst. "Lydia, just leave it. I shouldn't have asked."

"You didn't even finish the question!" she exclaims, frustrated.

Lydia really needs to confirm he's asking what she thinks he's asking and the reason why, and Stiles obviously wants to know the answer to his question but is not sure if Lydia would want to know why he has to. They both know the tether is pushing its strings right now and they can't control themselves. All there is left to do is bicker.

She crosses her arms in front of her chest, clearly annoyed. "I'm waiting."

What she is, really, is too close because the need to kiss is there again and soon Stiles finds himself a little out of breath. "I- I was just wondering if you two had something going on," he lets out, looking down and avoiding her gaze.

"Like what?" Her tone sounds a little more accusatory than she intended to.

He bites back, gesturing excessively. "You know what I mean, Lydia."

"I'm not sure I do."

"What do you think?" Their tones rise.

"I don't know, Stiles. You won't ask the stupid question."

"Oh my god, you're so stubborn. Does it even make a difference?"

"Yes!" she blurts out, yelling. "Yes it does, Stiles. Would you ask it already?"

He doesn't hesitate this time. "Are you two together?"

"No. Would it make a difference if we were?"

"Yes!"

They stay quiet for a long time just staring at each other with uneven breaths, trying their best not to give in to the kiss.

"Okay, now that we've established that, can I go get my glass of water?" Stiles is really trying to appear unaffected by what just happened but their proximity is not really working in his favour. Nor her rosy cheeks or her pouty lips. _God_, he needs to move away.

Lydia is thinking the same thing about him. "Fine!" she says, upset.

He storms past her. "Fine!"

**Author's note: Please review! I love to hear from you guys :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Stiles?"

It's been almost two hours since their argument and they haven't shared a word. Lydia has been sitting at the table while Stiles took off his shoes and has been leaning against one of the couch's arms, almost lying down. He took the bestiary and at first he was probably reading it, but somewhere in the middle of their shared silence he began just flipping pages, not paying attention to it. For the last twenty five minutes he hasn't even moved; he's just been glaring at its cover.

Lydia knows this because she's been staring at the back of Stiles' head ever since he came back from the kitchen and sat down on her couch and she's not sure what kept her from saying something for those two hours. She's hurting and he's hurting and it's neither's fault. Life happened and each of them moved in a different direction and it brought feelings she wasn't necessarily expecting, or at least not in such full force. And maybe it's pride or fear of getting hurt again by letting someone in. But Stiles is different, she knows, so she spent the last two hours debating with herself what she was supposed to do. By the time she gets up from her chair and walks the distance between them, Lydia is so nervous she feels like she might break down and cry in a heartbeat.

At the mention of his name, Stiles is quick to place the bestiary on her coffee table and look up at her, moving to the side a little so that Lydia can sit beside him. He hasn't said anything because he doesn't want to push her away. He just got her back and he doesn't want to lose his friend again. He might have already said too much by admitting her (thankfully not romantic) relationship with Parrish bothers him. But then again, she also wanted to know something.

"Stiles, I'm so sorry." She bites her lower lip trying to hold back the tears, but in all honesty she wants nothing but to cry. There are too many feelings and this whole thing is overwhelming her. "This weekend was about you and I pushed you. I shouldn't have done that. It was selfish and insensitive of me, I'm so sorry."

By now Stiles has already sat up and took her trembling hands in his. "Hey." Lydia can't help it and soon a tear is rolling down her cheek. "Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry, I- I don't want you to be mad."

Stiles wipes away her tears, getting a little closer. "Shhh. Lydia, come on. I'm not mad."

She sobs. "You should. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"I yelled at you too. And I'm sorry I called you stubborn."

"I was being stubborn. But I- I just felt so angry, I'm so sorry."

Stiles pulls her into a hug and she rests her head on his shoulder. One of his hands runs soothingly up and down her back. "I know. I felt angry too. This stupid pull, I don't know…"

Lydia distances herself from him a bit. "Stiles, it wasn't just the tether," she murmurs, her cheeks turning red and not from the crying. "I mean, I felt it, the pull, but it was all me. _I_ wanted you to ask the question," she confesses, her voice almost a hum.

Stiles lowers his head, avoiding her gaze. "I know." Lydia waits patiently for him to elaborate, waits until he's ready to face her again. He keeps his head down. "The tether just made me feel more irritable and impatient, I guess, but what I said… It was the same for me. _I_ wanted to know. I had to ask."

"Then why didn't you say something when you came back?"

"Probably for a similar reason why you didn't say anything either." He pauses, still escaping her glance. "I don't want to mess us up but I don't think I can pretend that didn't happen."

"I know."

Lydia lets out a breath, nervous as she is, and Stiles finally looks her in the eyes. "Why did you want me to ask you?"

She figures there's no legitimate reason to lie, so she might as well tell the truth for a change. "I uh…" Lydia purses her lips. "I needed to know that you still care."

"What are you talking about?" The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them and his cheeks turn bright red. "Lydia, you know how I feel about you."

She shakes her head. "I don't. You don't know how it's been since… I- It was a crush before, you've told me that, and then we got to know each other and became friends, and then we kissed but I was with Aiden and then Malia came along and there were so many things happening at the same time and I just… I wasn't so sure."

She keeps crying and Stiles tries his best not to do the same, his hands moving up to caress her cheeks. He stutters, his heart beating fast. "Lydia, what… What are you saying?"

"There's something I might have realized a little too late."

And as if her words weren't enough, her big, beautiful emerald eyes are screaming at him. A wave of warmth rushes through his whole body and soul as realization dawns upon him. He feels peaceful, for once. A little teary himself, Stiles leans forward until their foreheads are touching, his thumb softly grazing her lips. Giving her that smug smile of his that she's learned to love - and miss - so much, Stiles whispers "It's not too late" before pulling her in for a kiss.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The doorbell rings. The freaking doorbell rings, interrupting their kiss. They weren't even ten seconds into it yet.

"Oh my god, seriously?" Stiles exclaims, sitting up straighter, startled. Lydia has to laugh; she missed this side of him. "We might have the worst timing in the history of worst timings." He looks at her in disbelief. "What are you even laughing at? This isn't funny."

She wipes away the tears from her crying before and lets out a chuckle. "It kind of is."

Stiles frowns, pouting a little. "No. We were… We need to talk, you know, about things?"

She takes a deep breath. "I know. Later?" Reluctant, he nods. She gives him a kiss on the cheek just as the doorbell rings again. Lydia smiles, getting up. "Would you please open the door? I'll just go freshen up and I'll be right out."

"Yeah, sure," he says, standing up too, annoyance all over his face.

Lydia disappears to the bathroom and Stiles makes his way to the front door. He already has a whole speech in his head prepared for whoever is on the other side of that door for interrupting them. Opening it, he finds a giggling Kira. "Hi, Stiles," she greets, smiling wide.

"Heeey…" Right, they were supposed to stop by for lunch. "Where's Scott?" If his best friend were to be the one at the door instead of the Kitsune, Stiles is sure he would have overheard Stiles and Lydia's conversation and probably would have walked away but no, it had to be Kira. Not that Stiles is complaining because Kira is great, just not right now.

"Oh, he's over there," she points to the end of Lydia's driveway. "He's just paying the pizza guy. What about Lydia?"

He can't really tell why but it seems to him like Kira saw right through him. The girl is trying, not very successfully, to hide a playful smile. "Uh… Bathroom," he murmurs.

The girl narrows her eyes at him with a smirk. "We thought we'd come sooner. We're so excited to get to spend time with you two together. I mean, not together together…" Kira is fishing. Stiles is mostly red, looking at her like he got caught doing something he shouldn't and she wants to find out what it is. "… but your dynamic was getting kind of weird lately. You two didn't seem as close as you were before, I don't know," she rambles. "So we thought we'd get an extra hour with you guys and maybe watch a movie after lunch?" she asks with puppy dog eyes – yes, she's been learning that from Scott. Stiles just looks back at her with a blank expression and Kira has to fight the urge to laugh in his face. "I mean, we're not interrupting anything, are we?" She's not sure if they are but she can't help but to provoke Stiles.

Innocent as Kira may look, Stiles knows her as well as she knows him. They've been spending a lot of time together mostly because of Scott, but they actually got to know each other and have a lot in common, so Stiles can't help but to roll his eyes at the girl. "Very funny. Just get inside," he says stepping aside to let her in, a smile escaping his lips.

Kira grins, proud of herself. "Where should I put these?" she asks, shaking the bags she's carrying.

"And what are those?" Stiles tries to sneak a peek at the contents of the bags.

She grins. "Gummies and popcorn and stuff. We're spoiling you."

"And you should," he laughs back at her. "You're being very inconvenient right now, just FYI…"

"What are you two talking about?" Lydia asks, returning to her living room.

"Nothing," Kira and Stiles answer in unison.

Lydia, of course, is not convinced by the way Stiles and Kira are looking suspiciously at each other but before she can say anything else she's interrupted by Scott, who appears at the door carrying two boxes of pizza. "Who's hungry?" the Alpha asks happily.

xxxxxxxxxx

The group has fun throughout the day. After lunch, they end up having a movie marathon, all the four of them sitting tight together on Lydia's bed. Stiles' breakup isn't mentioned once. By the time the last movie ends it's almost 6pm and before saying their goodbyes, Kira excuses herself to go to the bathroom, leaving the other three alone.

As soon as his girlfriend is out of sight, Scott pats Stiles' shoulder. "Give me your phone, quick."

"Oh, right." Stiles takes his phone out of his pocket and hands it to his best friend. "It's under 'V'."

"Got it. I'll be right back." And with that, Scott almost runs out of the room, leaving Stiles and Lydia by themselves.

"What was that about?" she asks, curious. Stiles and Lydia are curled up on her bed side by side, their legs slightly touching. They have been close all afternoon and it's been bothering them that they hadn't got even a minute by themselves until just now.

Stiles whispers. "Scott has been looking for the perfect gift for Kira. You know, for Valentine's Day." He lowers his gaze, a little sadness in his eyes. "He's been trying to get them tickets for that concert she really wants to go to. It's sold out but I found a guy who might be willing to sell him two tickets. He just didn't want to call him from his phone, Kira could find out."

"Oh, Valentine's… I kind of forgot about it," she lets out. It never was her favourite holiday; not when she was dating – mostly because her boyfriends wouldn't know how to treat a girl right -, certainly not now that she's single.

"How could you forget about Valentine's? Come on, you girls love it."

"I don't know. I just… It never was that good of a holiday for me, I guess. It doesn't matter, anyway," she murmurs.

Stiles snuggles a little closer to her, almost touching her forehead. They've been craving to touch each other all afternoon. "I was kind of excited, actually. Not lately, but before… I know Valentine's is in like three weeks and I've technically been single for almost two months, but… I don't know…"

"I do. It was going to be the first year you'd actually have someone to share the holiday with. I get it," she offers, smiling softly. "I'm sorry."

He shrugs his shoulders. "It's okay. It wouldn't be that great, anyways. Malia would probably discard anything that I'd give her just to go run through the woods or something. I wouldn't want my first Valentine's to go like that." He tries to hide a blush but still glances at Lydia. "Maybe next year."

Lydia smiles back, biting her lower lip. "Yeah, maybe."

"Stiles, I need a huge favour," Scott says, barging into Lydia's room running and making Stiles swear under his breath for having their moment interrupted yet again.

"What?" he asks bitterly, sitting on the bed.

"I need you to take Kira home. I'm gonna meet the guy." He hands the cell phone back to Stiles.

"Dude, come on. I was gonna stay a little longer," Stiles whines rolling his eyes in Lydia's direction without moving his head so that she doesn't notice.

Scott gets what is friend is trying to say. "I know, I'm sorry," he apologizes. "But you know how hard it's been to find them. Please, Stiles."

Kira gets back from the bathroom. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

Stiles has to physically restrain himself from getting up and start pacing around the room, cursing everyone. That's exactly what he feels like doing right now. Instead, he looks at Lydia, who nods in understanding. He lets out a breath. "Okay, fine."

"Hey Kira, Stiles is gonna take you home."

"Oh? Why?"

Scott blushes. "My uh- My mom, she needs me to stop by the Hospital to run an errand. Stiles will take you, alright?" He kisses her lips. "I really have to go," he says, already starting to walk away from her. "We'll talk later." With that, he leaves.

Stiles gets up from the bed. The sooner he leaves with the Kitsune, the least chances she'll have to ask him about why Scott was lying. Scott was never one to lie that subtly. "You have to be home by 6:30pm, right?" Kira nods. "We should get going, then. Do you mind just giving us a minute? I'll meet you downstairs," he asks the girl, his cheeks turning rosy.

She smiles. "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow, Lydia."

Lydia says goodbye to her friend and when she and Stiles are left alone in her room, she gets up from the bed too. Stiles makes his way towards her. "I'm gonna kill Scott, just so you know," he chuckles.

She pats his chest. "It's okay. I'll see you tomorrow, it's fine."

Letting his hands move to her waist, he pulls her closer. Lowering his head so that their foreheads are touching, his lips are brushing hers. "I could come by later," he offers.

She moves her hands up to caress his cheeks, shaking her head. "Your dad wants to talk to you. You should go home." She allows herself to steal a quick kiss from him. "Just call me later so we can talk, alright?" He opens his mouth to argue but she stops him. "Hey, we don't want to rush this. If you end up staying, I really don't know if I can be accountable for my actions. Or yours," she laughs.

Stiles lowers his head and raises his arms in defeat with flushed cheeks, a smile on his lips,. "Ugh, I hate this. I really wanted to stay."

"And I really want for you to stay too," she admits, pursing her lips. "And that's why I don't think it's such a good idea. Tomorrow is gonna be a hard day on you…"

He pouts. "You're right."

She grins. "Of course I am."

He crashes his lips on hers. "Shut up."

Lydia laughs. "I really wanna say _'make me'_ but I think it's best if I don't. Just call me when you get home, okay?"

He kisses her swiftly one last time. "Yeah. And I'll see you tomorrow."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Stiles, you're not coming over!"

Stiles and Lydia have been on the phone for the better part of two hours.

After he left Kira, the boy went home and this time talking to his dad actually proved fruitful. The man apologized for not listening and not being more supportive at times; Stiles for doing what he thinks is right, which usually translates in getting into trouble and almost getting himself killed without his dad knowing about it. They talked about lots of things. Claudia, a subject frequently kept under wraps; his possession and how it still affects them. Malia was a tough subject because what his dad saw in their relationship wasn't what Stiles and the werecoyote actually had and it surprised the man. The Sheriff promised to be more attentive in the future; Stiles that he wouldn't withhold any more information from his dad.

At that, the man told him about Lydia and what she'd shared with him that morning, leaving a stunned Stiles open mouthed and speechless. Okay, Lydia cared; Stiles knew that already. But just how much? Is it even conceivable, in reality, that Lydia might have deeper feelings for him? Because she never ended up putting it in words but then again they kept being interrupted. Leaving his dad in the kitchen, who was amused to see his son realize something that was mostly kind of evident, Stiles ran up to his room to call Lydia and tell her about the conversation with his dad.

Lydia had been a little nervous during his absence, probably due to Stiles being nervous himself about the talk with the Sheriff. Stiles was nervous, so Lydia had been too. Probably the tether, she figured. As soon as her phone rings, she picks up and listens to the boy ramble about it all. He deliberately chooses to leave the part that concerns Lydia to the very end, so in the meantime he talks to her about his mother and she listens avidly. How he misses her and how things were at home when he was little. How he met Scott in a sandbox when they were four and how they have been inseparable ever since.

He tells her stories of his childhood. How he almost broke an arm when he first learned how to ride a bike because when he went to show Scott his newfound skill, he almost ran over his best friend and ended up falling off of his bike and against Scott, who scraped his knees. How he'd been such a prick about getting a boa when he was ten that his dad got him one just to see him scared of it and for the young boy to regret his decision; instead, he ended up keeping it until one day he lost sight of it for one second and never saw it again. How he had his first kiss when he was thirteen with one of his neighbors, a pretty brunette that lived down the street and that had a crush on him and that Stiles had to turn down because he had a crush on somebody else.

He also tells her how his mom used to bake a cake or prepare a special dessert every other Sunday and how he would help her in the kitchen. How he still remembers that when his dad came back from work every afternoon, he'd kiss his mom on the cheek and she'd blush and laugh like she was infatuated with the Sheriff and wasn't even married to the man. How Stiles and his dad started appreciating every single minute they had with her when they found out she was sick. How Stiles had spent hours keeping her company in her hospital room while his dad was working. How he was holding her hand when she took her last breath. How sometimes Lydia reminds him of her with her wit and intelligence and kindness (that yes, Stiles is aware she doesn't show much but that he knows she has).

By then, both Stiles and Lydia are crying silently but they don't stop talking. He tells her how it went with his dad after his mom's death, how Stiles had to grow up so fast in such a short amount of time. That he remembers Melissa would stop by sometimes, bringing Scott along to keep Stiles company while she took care of his dad. How Stiles had grown to trust and rely on Melissa more than he ever expected, seeing her as a motherly figure. He even confesses to Lydia that, back when he was possessed and went to find Melissa at the hospital, he faintly remembers calling her 'mom' before falling asleep but that he never talked to her about it, mostly because he's not sure it really happened.

At last, Stiles changes the subject by telling Lydia how he thinks Melissa and his dad could be a thing. How him and Scott have discussed it a few times and accepted that it will eventually happen. That maybe both their parents are just holding back because the Sheriff still seems too attached to the memory of Claudia and the same goes for Melissa because both women knew each other. That what he sees between his dad and Melissa is not burning passion or desire or anything of the sort, but true friendship and trust and companionship, the kind of love that's just there before they know it and that is so subtle and so strong they won't even know what hit them. Stiles whispers to Lydia how it reminds him of himself and her sometimes.

Lydia remains silent for a while when he tells her "I know you talked to my dad" because she knows exactly what Stiles means and he waits patiently until she finds the courage to say something. And when she finally does, Lydia tells him she meant every word and that it came out so naturally that she even surprised herself. She knows he's grinning when he says "I want to see you" but she has to tell him no. She knows the second he'd walk into her house they'd be ripping each other's clothes off. It's been too long, too much of a build up for it to go any other way and she doesn't want that.

When he insists one, two, three times because he really needs to hear to words from her mouth and see it in her eyes for himself, Lydia has to tell him adamantly "Stiles, you're not coming over!" and when he asks why, Lydia admits that it is something that bothered her, the way Stiles and Malia jumped into a relationship after having sex one time when they barely knew each other. And even if Lydia is no one to judge, partially because she has done the same thing in the past more times than she can be proud of, she tells Stiles that's not how she wants their relationship to start. That she wants to do it right this time because it's him and he's special and she really wants to make it work.

It takes all that Stiles has to not go to her house, to do what he's told because he knows Lydia is right. So when he tells her he can't wait to see her the next day, Lydia has to bite back a laugh for how excited he sounds but she still smiles wide. And he hears that smile in her voice when she asks him to pick her up in the morning, a shy tone falling out of her lips because of how new this whole situation is to her. When they hang up and go to sleep that night, the first time apart since he showed up at her house two days ago, they lie on their respective beds smiling like fools and with an uneasy sensation on their stomachs anticipating the next day.

xxxxxxxxxx

He gets out of the Jeep as soon as he parks on her driveway. Walking to her front porch and ringing the doorbell, Stiles runs one hand through his hair in another failed attempt to fix it. Natalie is the one opening the door for him.

"Hi, Mrs. Martin."

"Stiles, honey. It's good seeing you," she smiles. "You look better."

He blushes and smiles back. "I feel better. I'm picking Lydia up."

She steps aside. "Well, come on in. She should be down in no time. I have to go. You kids getting to school late is one thing, but a teacher getting there late is not advisable," she chuckles.

He shrugs his shoulders, grinning. "Oh, I wouldn't complain. It does make my day when we get to have no class because the teachers keep forgetting about the 15-minute rule."

Natalie laughs. "I'm glad to see your sense of humour remains unaffected by recent events." Placing her hand on his shoulder, she squeezes lightly before heading out. "Have a good day of school, sweetheart. I hope to see you soon."

Stiles waves her goodbye and waits for Lydia in the living room. She takes all of two minutes to meet him downstairs. Not really sure what to do or expect, Stiles leans against the back of her couch, hands shoved in his pockets. Lydia walks up to him determined, blushing as soon as he lays eyes on her, a little laugh escaping her lips. She doesn't even hesitate before pressing her lips against his in a soft, quick kiss. On her part, she won't waste another minute with the boy, even if they'll have to take things slow.

"Hi," she says shyly.

He chuckles. "Hey. Ready to go?"

"In a minute. I just wanted to say something first."

His mouth goes dry. If this is it, if this is the moment Lydia says something remotely endearing, even romantic, Stiles will probably die right there. He nods. "Okay."

Lydia takes a deep breath. "About our talk yesterday, I just wanted to say that I'm really happy that you told me all of those things. I'm glad you got to talk about your mom and that you shared it with me. No one has ever done that before." She cups his cheeks. "And I'm sorry for all you've been through. It couldn't have been easy. I wish I'd been there for you before."

He gives her a half-crooked smile. "You're here now."

She smiles back, her eyes sparkling. "I am. And I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry I didn't let you come over yesterday. I really wanted you to but I don't want to rush this, alright?"

He nods again. "I get it."

"Okay, good." She gives him such a huge smile that Stiles' heart falters. "I was thinking maybe we could uh…" Lydia purses her lips, blushing. "Hang out sometime, maybe after school?"

Stiles' heart must be about to burst from all the excitment. Pulling her closer, he bumps his nose gently on hers and smiles. "I'd like that."

She whispers into his lips. "Me too." They stay still for a while, savouring the moment before Lydia kisses his cheek. "We can go now," she says amused, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.

xxxxxxxxxx

During their ride to school, they both agree to keep all touching to when they're alone. Stiles feels a little nervous about walking through those hallways knowing Malia could be just around a corner but Lydia tells him it'll be okay. Scott and Kira, along with Liam and Mason, meet them in the parking lot and they all walk in together to their first class without any unpleasant encounters (if you don't count all the stares from pretty much everyone, those petty looks that have Lydia sending death glares to each and every single one of those students until they look away, uncomfortable). In fact, they don't see the werecoyote the whole day. The same goes for the next day and it starts getting Stiles edgy, not knowing what's going on and it comes to the point in which even the rest of the pack starts getting concerned. Something could have happened to her and it wouldn't be the first time the pack only found out about a threat later than desirable.

That unnerving thought dissipates on Wednesday when one of their classmates approaches Stiles and, to bicker with the boy, says that Malia has been staying with the guy from the party, who happens to be his neighbour. He even goes to the extent of adding that the girl usually roams around the house naked and that a lot of people have seen Stiles' ex-girlfriend's attributes by now. Stiles just pats the other boy's back and walks past him with a smile, actually relieved that he can breathe easier. What was troubling him was the idea that something supernatural was happening again; aside from that, he couldn't care less.

He's been spending his late afternoons with Lydia. They do their homework together and study over dinner, mostly spending their free time as friends. And it's nice, Stiles thinks, to be able to be with Lydia like that. She doesn't hide her smartness anymore and he rivals her. Sure he isn't as good but he presents a challenge and she appreciates it. Likes it even. So much that sometimes she'll encourage him with a kiss to which he responds enthusiastically. They take it slow, maybe a little too slow for both their tastes but they're most certainly enjoying it. Lydia has never had someone like Stiles in her life before, and Stiles may not be well versed in relationships but this, whatever it is he and Lydia are right now, it feels right.

They start relaxing around each other. Whether alone or at school, they are more carefree and it feels so good that it takes a lot of control to not touch the other when they're surrounded. Still, their smiles are there, pure happiness all over their features. They don't tell anyone about their 'agreement'. They're not dating and they're not not dating, but it's no one's business anyway. And they like the idea of figuring it out on their own; it's how it was always supposed to go anyway.

On Thursday, however, things change. It's lunchtime and after leaving her classroom, Lydia walks up to her locker to leave her books before heading to the cafeteria to meet the others. She's distracted humming to a song that's stuck on her head since that morning when she hears a low growl behind her. She knows it's Malia even before the girl snarls "I knew it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's note: I hate that I do this because I intend to write a chapter for one of my fics and I often end up writing a chapter for another one, but the ideas pop up in my head and I can't really help it, I just have to write them down. **

**I couldn't leave it alone so here you have the next chapter for 'Not a Valentine's Date'. Enjoy it, I know I did :P**

**Chapter 18**

"I knew it," the werecoyote repeats, the words coming out like a threat.

Lydia doesn't even flinch; she was expecting this to happen eventually. Applying some lipstick and checking out her make up on the small mirror she has on her locker, Lydia pretends to not even acknowledge the presence of the girl who, Lydia sees in the reflection, is a few steps behind her.

Lydia doesn't turn around and it only makes the coyote angrier. "What, you can't hear me over the voices in your head?" she provokes.

Lydia takes a deep breath and purses her lips. Fixing her hair briefly, Lydia shuts her locker and turns around. "Actually, I tend to answer to people who have manners, you know? But I think we can both agree that you're not one of them." Lydia gives her a challenging smile. "Hi, Malia."

The girl takes a step forward towards Lydia, but the strawberry blonde doesn't move away, just stands straighter. There are a few students in the hallway, far away enough from the girls to not hear what they're saying. They are probably anticipating some sort of a fight and Lydia can't help it. There are a lot of things she'd like to say to this stupid little bitch. "Did you need something?" she asks as sweetly and cynically as she possibly can.

"I knew you'd be all over him as soon as I'd broke up with him. How does it feel to have leftovers?" the coyote asks, defiant.

Lydia feels a little sick at the thought but she pushes the sensation aside. "Oh honey," Lydia crosses her arms over her chest and smiles again, "I'm not _all over anyone_, I'm not some wild animal." At the scowl Malia gives her, Lydia only smiles wider. "And I can't make if you are jealous or just stupid, but it's not a good look on you."

Malia shortens the distance between the two until she's right in front of Lydia. "His scent is all over you, I can smell it. Get away from him."

"Oh, I'm not getting away from anyone, especially Stiles. His ex-girlfriend, who technically hasn't been his girlfriend for almost two months by the way, just broke up with him. He could use a friend."

"And that's you?"

"Is there a problem if it is?"

"It's always you," she hisses. "_Lydia this, Lydia that, we need Lydia, I miss Lydia, there's Lydia_…" The werecoyote starts gesturing a little more exaggeratedly than certainly necessary. "I'm so sick of you. I don't even see the appeal. And you're always pretending to be smarter than everybody else and in the woods you'd die so quickly it probably wouldn't even be fun to watch." Malia smiles like she just said something she should be proud of.

Lydia, on her part, just runs one hand through her hair and fixes her dress. "Well, if you can't see the appeal you're probably blind. And I am smarter than most people, I don't pretend to be. But I guess that's something a dumb person would say…" Lydia doesn't even attempt to hide her smirk. "And we're not in the woods, darling. We're civilized here."

Malia growls again, still in a low tone but more ferociously than before. "I could easily end you."

"Oh, I'd like to see you try." The coyote may have claws and super strength but Lydia only has to open her mouth and scream to leave the girl on her knees. Still, she's not up for a physical fight. "But I have better things to do, so if you'll excuse me…"

Lydia walks past Malia with her head held high, her heels trotting on the ground leaving an echo behind her, mostly because the hallway had felt silent, now with some more people watching. Malia is not finished, however, and grabs Lydia's left arm, making the strawberry blonde turn around. Malia's claws are not only showing but also digging deep on Lydia's skin, but Lydia makes sure to appear unaffected even if it hurts like hell. Taking a step to the side so that she's blocking everyone's view from Malia's claws, Lydia smiles again. "You should know by now that you're not supposed to turn in public."

Malia tightens the grip on Lydia's arm, using such strength that Lydia can't help but to hold her breath. "Stiles is _my_ mate, mine and mine only. And I'll do with him as I please, not you. You'll leave him alone or I'll kill you, you understand? I'll get him back."

Lydia chuckles. "I didn't see that one coming but I can't say I'm surprised. Apparently you haven't made that much _progress_ if you think cheating on him will get you Stiles back. I'll do what I want and Stiles will do what he wants and that should be none of your business."

Malia raises her voice at Lydia, earning a few gasps from the bystanders. "Weren't you a slut before? Why don't you go and find yourself a new boyfriend?"

Impervious at the words, Lydia gives her the smuggest smile she has probably ever given anyone. "But that's the thing, sweetheart, haven't you heard? He's single now."

xxxxxxxxxx

Scott and Stiles leave their classroom as soon as the bell rings, bored out of their minds. They're making their way to the cafeteria when Scott's senses perk up, noticing whispers between students he can't quite understand but that still catch his attention. He starts walking in the direction of the voices while dragging behind him an absentminded Stiles, who's rambling about school and not paying much attention to his best friend. Scott stops walking abruptly making Stiles bump into him.

"Dude, you could have warned me," Stiles chuckles.

"Shh," Scott whispers, bringing a finger to his lips to tell Stiles to shut up.

Stiles looks at him curious as Scott turns his head to the right first, then to the left to try and figure out where the mumbling is coming from. Making out the names of Lydia and Malia between some of the sentences he hears, Scott starts walking fast, grabbing Stiles' arm and bringing him along. "Stiles, we have to go."

The boy picks the pace behind him quickly, looking concerned. "What is it?"

"I think something's happening," he explains. "I can hear people talking about Lydia and Malia in an argument, I just…" He stops again to position the sounds again and starts walking through another hallway, changing directions. "I need to figure out where they are."

Stiles stutters. "L- Lydia? And Malia?" Scott nods. "Shit."

Scott panics when he hears Malia's distinct voice saying '_Weren't you a slut before?_' and starts running immediately. _'Why don't you go and find yourself a new boyfriend?' _He can hear her clearly so they have to be close by. "Stiles, hurry."

xxxxxxxxxx

The coyote lets her anger take over at the banshee's words and her eyes turn blue just as Scott appears in her line of sight.

"Malia!" Scott, frozen on the spot, uses his Alpha voice in a controlled tone, almost like in a casual conversation because even if he's far away from the girls, he knows Malia can hear him.

Stiles appears behind Scott three seconds later, almost bumping into him again and panting. As soon as he lays eyes on the scene, he sprints until he's in between the girls, almost breathless, shielding Lydia's body with his own. "Malia, let go," he says, grabbing the girl's wrist and trying to take her hand away of Lydia's arm.

Malia just holds on tighter and Lydia inhales sharply, noticing a small stream of blood running out of her arm where the claws are carving deep in her milky skin. Stiles takes a step forward to see if he can make the coyote back away, but it isn't until Scott grabs Malia's arm and flashes his eyes red at the girl that she steps back and releases her grip on Lydia.

"I'll get her out of here," says Scott to the girl's dismay. Malia still tries to talk to Stiles but he gives her a glare that has her shrugging involuntarily.

He forgets she was there instantly and turns to a speechless Lydia, holding her arm to see the wound. The claws ripped her sleeve and found the skin and there's more blood than Stiles hoped there would be. Letting go of her arm carefully, Stiles cups her cheeks. "Hey, you okay?"

Lydia shakes her head and steps back until Stiles can no longer reach for her. "Stiles, we're not alone," she whispers. Most of their classmates are still in the hallway, now watching Stiles and Lydia's rendezvous. "Let's just get out of here."

Stiles looks at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" He walks until he's in front of her again, closer than before now. One of his hands moves to lift her chin up until she's looking right at him, the other to rest on her waist. "Fuck it, I don't care. Are you okay?"

Lydia nods, blushing. They're too close but she doesn't mind either. "Yeah," she looks down at her arm, "it just stings a bit."

"What were you thinking? Why didn't you call for one of us?"

Lydia shudders, the adrenaline starting to wear off. "I don't know. I had some things I wanted to tell her and she approached me and started to get on my nerves. I just… I'm sorry, Stiles, I shouldn't have," she admits, biting down on her lower lip nervously.

"Hey," his thumb brushes her bottom lip softly until she releases it from her teeth, "it's okay. I just didn't want her shredding you to pieces, alright? Nor you her, because I'm sure you could." He smiles tenderly. "But you don't heal like the werewolves, alright? Don't do something like that again." Lydia nods, bringing her arm up and between them slowly. Pulling her sleeve up carefully, she notices that not only is she bleeding, she's bruising. Stiles examines it attentively as softly as he can not to hurt her. "Do you think it reached the bone?"

Lydia shakes her head. "I don't think so but it also doesn't hurt much and that's probably from the adrenaline, so I'm not sure." She gets even closer to him and takes a good look at it too. "I don't think the claws went that deep but I'll probably need stitches."

At Lydia's statement, and realising that she's right and that the coyote crossed a very serious line just then, Stiles stiffens. "What did she tell you?"

Lydia, aware of the change in his tone and to avoid more concerns on his part, tries to dismiss it. "Stiles, it's okay. She started it but I answered back at her comments, okay? I was a little frisky and snarky too, it wasn't just her."

"Lydia, what did she say to you?" he asks adamantly.

"Stiles…"

Liam finds his way to the duo. "Lydia, are you okay? I just saw Scott dragging Malia away, he told me what happened."

She gives him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine." Lydia is grateful for the boy's interest. He's been more involved in the pack recently, so it's a good thing that he cares. Only Lydia didn't foresee his next words, or else she would have told him to go away or shut his mouth.

"Did Malia really call you a slut?"

"She what?" Stiles yells, unable to hide away his perplexity. "Lydia?"

"Stiles, it doesn't matter…"

He doesn't let her finish. "You know what? Liam, can you please take Lydia to the nurse?" The boy nods, surprised at Stiles' sudden burst. "I'm gonna kill her," he mutters, kissing Lydia's cheek before taking a step back and starting to walk away. "I'll find you later, okay?"

Lydia still says "Stiles, don't" to no avail because the boy runs until the end of the hallway and then out the door to find Scott and Malia, leaving a stunned Lydia and Liam behind.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! I know it's been a long time since I last updated but lately I haven't had much free time :/ Piece of advice: check the previous chapter just to make sure you know where we're at in the story, since I have 11 Stydia fics to update at the moment and for those of you who actually follow most (or all) of them, it's a good way to refresh your memory.**

**Enjoy the chapter and please take a look at my notes at the end! Have a great weekend ^^**

**Chapter 19**

Lydia ditches Liam not five minutes later, saying she'd rather see Melissa instead of the school's nurse. It would raise suspicions and Lydia would have to explain how she got hurt like that. Liam hesitates seeing that Stiles was pretty clear – and not that he'll admit it out loud but, to the beta, Stiles is like a second alpha -, but Lydia insists and he ends up letting her go without him.

Melissa doesn't say much about it. When she asks Lydia what happened, the redhead only replies "_Malia_" and Scott's mom thinks it's best to not push the matter for the moment. Cleaning the wound and closing it, Melissa wraps Lydia's forearm in bandages and gives Lydia some pills for the pain. The redhead ends up skipping school for the rest of the day.

She doesn't let Stiles know that she met with Melissa or that she went home right after, mostly because during the whole afternoon Stiles didn't say anything either. However he's dealing with Malia, it sets a disconcerting feeling under Lydia's skin for Stiles hasn't said anything back to her and she can't help but to let her mind wander, to read into the unknown. Maybe Stiles just can't get to his phone, she knows that, but maybe he's sorting things out with Malia. It was his first breakup after all and it's probably not that farfetched that he'd be torn, maybe actually consider giving Malia another chance and if that's the case, Lydia is not only going to let him do his mistakes by himself as she'll also not mess with it. It's not fair that she'd come between them when their relationship is none of her concern, the same way she told Malia that her own relationship with Stiles was none of the other girl's business, the difference being that Stiles actually had a relationship with Malia and not Lydia. And it's also Lydia's fault that this happened. The coyote might have started their argument but she incited the fight and it's starting to make the redhead reevaluate her choices. She can only hope her friendship with the boy is not lost again.

The guilt that Lydia feels because she might have done more harm than good by (sort of) admitting her feelings for Stiles consumes her as she lies awake on her bed until dinner time. Even after she eats, she finds herself with her back against her mattress for a little while longer. She doesn't move, barely breathes and her mind just won't stop visiting the memories from the last few days. She only comes out of her reverie when her phone starts beeping, and for the better part of the next half hour Stiles calls her non-stop; she doesn't pick up. And it's stupid, she knows, that she's actually behaving like a brat but she's jealous and she's bitter, and she doesn't want to get hurt with whatever he'll say to her when they eventually speak again. She's scared that because he went for so long without saying anything, things are back where they were between them or worse. She's confused and she can only say that these have been some excruciating hours.

She knows it's not an emergency. If it was, other members of the pack would try and reach her, but it's just Stiles. After 19 missed calls and a few text messages, the beeping comes to a halt all of a sudden and that's when Lydia actually starts getting concerned about the situation she put herself in. Because when Stiles started calling her it was probably because he found out that she left school and is mad at her for it, but now that he stopped and hasn't tried to reach her for over twenty minutes, what does it mean? What does it mean _for them_? Time passes and she doesn't come up with a good enough answer for the life of her so, trying not to think about it, Lydia puts her phone on silence and starts getting ready for bed.

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He's mad. Dammit, he's furious. Why the hell hasn't Lydia said anything since he left her? _Shit, I left her_, he thinks conflicted. He had to, he knows that. No one knows Malia like he does; he's the one who had to make sure the girl wouldn't do something stupid after her argument with Lydia. But at the same time, he shouldn't have left the banshee behind. He's been doing it for so long now, it makes him sick.

After trying to get Lydia to pick up the damn phone for what feels like the hundredth time, he's had it. Next thing he knows he's parking the Jeep on her driveway, his nerves so on edge that he feels like he could rip his own skin out. Lucky enough, Natalie notices the lights from the Jeep and opens the door for him before he even rings the doorbell.

She looks at him concerned. "Stiles, honey. Is everything okay? It's almost ten…"

"I know, sorry. I just… I really need to see Lydia, she hasn't answered my calls all afternoon. I just want to see if she's okay," he murmurs, hands shoved in his pockets to hide his nervousness.

Natalie had noticed something was off with Lydia but her daughter wouldn't open up to her, let alone tell her mom that she'd been injured. Back at the school, Natalie had heard in passing something about Lydia and Malia but no one would give her much details. Now, the woman has a good idea of who is behind Lydia's lethargy. "You can go up, she's in her room." She gives him a devious smile. "I'll be downstairs. Just don't get too loud."

"Too loud? Wh-" His voice fails him as he realizes what she's implying and the smirk on Natalie's lips tells him he's right in his assumption. Stiles blushes hard and stutters. His heart starts beating so quickly he's sure the woman can hear it. "Oh, we're n- You mean…? We're not gonna do an-"

Natalie leaves him to his babbling with a smile, turning around to head towards the kitchen and Stiles, thinking better than to embarrass himself any further, starts pacing up the stairs. By the time he reaches Lydia's room, he's at a lack of words. He can't help the fleeting thought that crosses his mind of how this might not be the first time Natalie has let a boy in to see her daughter but he shakes his head vigorously, swearing lowly to himself to forget about it. By the time he knocks on Lydia's door, Stiles is more anxious than angry.

"Come in, mom. It's open," he hears from the inside, the strawberry blonde's voice sounding a little too faint for his liking.

He opens the door slowly to find Lydia in the same place on her bed she's been in all afternoon, only now underneath the covers and reading a book. "Uh, not your mom. It's just me."

She hadn't heard the Jeep, she hadn't heard the front door, she was not expecting him to stop by at all. Lydia sits up quickly, gasping, her book falling to the floor unnoticed. "Stiles? W- What are you doing here? How-"

He takes a step forward and closes the door behind him, reveling in the sight of Lydia Martin in a fluffy yellow pajama full of colorful teddy bears, which is something he's sure he'll never see again in his life. He'll have to tease her about that later; he almost flashes her a smile before remembering why he's there.

"I'm sorry to come by this late but I was worried, Lyds. You weren't answering your phone. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." He doesn't mean to let it out like an accusation but Stiles can feel how charged the room is; he just can't tell if it's all on his part or also Lydia's but it feels weird, standing there not sure of how to react. Things feel different for some reason and he's not sure that it is the tether's doing this time.

His voice comes out hurt, maybe a little tired, and Lydia feels her stomach twist at the sound. "I'm okay. I just didn't feel like going back to class," she murmurs, looking down at her hands.

He sits beside her on the bed but not as close as he'd like to. "How's your arm? Liam told me you went to see Melissa."

"She took care of it. It'll take some time to heal, though."

"Does it hurt?"

"Right now, not much. But it feels a little numb," she mumbles, letting her fingertips brush the bandages softly. Her forearm feels a little ticklish.

His voice is a mere hum. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"

Lydia fidgets on her lap. "I don't know how to answer that."

"Yes, you do. Don't… Don't lie to me, Lyds."

She sighs. "What I mean is that I don't know what can be a right answer to that. I didn't know what to make of you not calling me, okay? I was afraid that maybe you and Malia might have gotten back together," she says honestly, stirring in her seat and trying to keep her tone calm. "It's not like you and I actually got to settle for anything. And I get why you had to go with her, I do, but I wish you hadn't. And it's okay, Stiles. If you and Malia sorted your things out, I- I understand." She believes she's making as much sense as Stiles probably thinks she is. She doesn't even trust her own words and has to fight the urge to groan in frustration.

Stiles gets up, soon gesturing wildly like he does sometimes and raising his tone a bit. "Are you kidding me? Lydia, you don't think I would get back with… You should have picked up the phone. I was worried sick." Stiles stops in the middle of her bedroom and exhales sharply to rearrange his thoughts; he didn't come to argue. "Look, me and Scott took Malia to the woods because she was mad, okay? And I'll admit that when she's mad, she gets violent sometimes. We didn't want someone innocent to notice her outburst or to get hurt. And you know what else, Lydia?" He shortens the distance between them to stand right in front of her by the end of the bed. "You were on my goddam mind the whole time. Do you know how hard it was for me to not be there with you? To actually have to teach Malia, yet again, what is expected of her and what isn't while you were somewhere else, hurting?"

Lydia feels bad for what she's doing but it's what she knows. And what she needs to solve this is help. "I'm gonna need your help with this, Stiles, okay?" She gestures between them. "I- I never had something like this before. Yes, I've dated and yes, experience is something I don't lack, but only in terms of sexual relationships. Because come to think of it, it's all I know, it's all I have ever had." She feels as hurt by her own words as he looks after hearing them, giving her a saddened expression. "Dammit, Stiles. I- I never had someone like you before. I don't know what it's like to actually be with someone who cares about you, the same way I don't know what it's like to care about someone this much, okay? Well, now I do but I don't know what to do, I don't know what to say to not screw it up. I don't want to be selfish and I know I said I'm not going anywhere and I'm not, Stiles, I swear, but I can't help but to doubt my every move." She gets up on impulse. "I don't want to lose our friendship. I want to make this work Stiles, but I don't know how. I want you, but I don't know what to do." It's probably the most truthful she has ever been in her life and it makes her feel much lighter, better, even if a little out of breath.

Stiles stays silent for a moment before giving her a small smile. "Lyds, I don't know what the hell you and I have going on because we can't seem to find the freaking time to figure it out, but it's something, alright? I've known it long before I even got to know the real you. And Malia is a turned page. She has nothing to do with us, right here, right now. This is me and you, Lydia. It's just us."

Lydia can only let out a whisper and give him an apologetic smile, her heart clenching at his words as she hesitantly takes a step towards him. "I'm sorry, Stiles… I- I don't want to ruin this, that's all."

He smiles too, softly, heart beating a little faster. "I don't want an apology, Lydia. Do you know what I want?" She looks at him expectant and her eyes are sparkling, sending such warmth back at him that Stiles is awestruck for a moment. There's something in them that makes him melt, a slimmer of hope maybe. He blushes even before saying the words. "I want to make out with you. God, I just want ten freaking minutes of bliss, peace and quiet with you, okay? I'm so tired of waiting on the sidelines and we keep getting interrupted, it's not fair." His dissipating anxiety still leads him to run his fingers through is hair, but a grin escapes nonetheless when he sees his banshee blushing and trying to hide a smile from him. "Lydia, if we don't try, we're never gonna get anywhere," he states the obvious.

Lydia purses her lips and nods. Of course he's right. She feels her blood warming her up without warning. "I know, you're right. I just… I thought you deserved the chance of making things right with Malia, if that was your choice. And I wasn't sure about what your choice would be, I wasn't sure-"

Stiles stops her rambling with a kiss, hard and filthy. Lydia almost loses her balance at his sudden initiative but his hands find her lower back easily to pull her closer to him and keep her steady. Tilting his head, he deepens the kiss as Lydia parts her lips for him, her own hands moving up to pull at his hair not as gently as the situation calls for but she doesn't care and he doesn't seem to mind either. Stiles pulls at her bottom lip slowly before they part, making the lack of touch agonizingly aching when he actually stops kissing her. Lydia is more out of breath than Stiles is.

His voice comes out hoarse as he smirks. "Is this clear enough for you?"

That smug look on his face always makes something deep inside her clench and Lydia finds herself nodding despite herself, biting on her bottom lip at his flushed features and messy hair, which was her doing. She grins. "Yes." She sees the truth in his eyes as clear as day and she smiles. Lydia's lips brush his for a moment before kissing him again, tenderly this time. "Oh god, yes. Yes, it is." She steals a quick kiss. "Now what are we gonna do about it?" she teases, tugging at his shirt and blushing harder than she could ever feel proud of.

His pupils dilate and Lydia notices how he stands straighter – as if he isn't tall enough as it is -, a half-crooked smile making its way to his lips easily. He hovers over her and leans to whisper in her ear. Lydia inhales his scent and for a second she might admit she's getting high on him. "We are gonna turn our phones off," he pauses to kiss below her ear, "and we are gonna make our way to your bed." Another kiss, now on the crook of her neck as he takes his jacket off and lets it fall on the bed without even looking at it. "And then we are very quietly gonna make out until I actually have to leave, which I understand isn't that far off since your mom knows I'm here and it's a school night. Doesn't matter, though." He pulls her shirt to the side a little, leaving an openmouthed kiss on her collarbone before biting the flesh softly, playfully. Lydia sighs, her hands moving up to his hair again to bring him closer like everything she's breathing at the moment isn't Stiles already. "I just want ten minutes. Ten minutes to get me through the night or I might lose my mind for a fact because of you." He moves back up her neck, the tip of his nose brushing her skin and making it break in goosebumps before nibbling at her ear. Lydia gasps before stealing a kiss of her own, feeling the skin of his neck hot against her lips and his pulse quickening. "And trust me. I've lost my mind once, I know what I'm talking about."

Lydia chuckles when she feels his lips turn into a smile against her own skin, his warm breath almost distracting her. Almost. "You're forgetting the most important thing."

He looks at her quizzically and she giggles, amused. "Which is?"

Pecking him on the lips before pushing him away, Lydia smirks. "Go lock the door."

**Author's note: As probably most of you know, there are 11 multi-chapter Stydia fics I need to update and trust me, I'm doing my best to get back on track. I'll be working on them over the weekend and whenever I can after that, along with my TW rewatch to make sure I'm all up to date for when S5 premieres! 6 weeks, guys, 6 weeks :D**

**The chapters will be posted by the date they were last updated, so next up is "I see you". I have all of my fics drafted and I know where I'm going with them, but you can always leave me suggestions or ideas for any of my fics. If there's something specific you'd like to see in one of them, let me know and I'll see if I can make it work.**

**Also, please review or leave a comment. It means the world to me :) and thank you so much for your patience and support. You guys are everything! *-***


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note: **Wow, it's been insanely long since the last update.

For those of you who don't know (I said it on the A/N of the one-shot I posted this week), I was hospitalized recently and I'm still recovering. I have a lot of works halfway ready for posting, however I'm having trouble finishing them and revising everything. We'll see how it goes from here.

Now go ahead, go read :)

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He doesn't get the ten minutes he wanted so badly.

He gets _an hour_.

Stiles gets a full, honest to god complete hour of making out with his favorite strawberry blonde without any interruptions, and it isn't until Natalie passes by Lydia's bedroom and murmurs her good nights to them both from behind the closed door that Stiles resigns and decides that it's time to go home.

Lydia doesn't go easy on him, of course, pushing him one step out of her bedroom and then two steps back to the bed in between longing kisses and hushed promises, hearts still beating fast after their heated make-out session.

And yes, heated.

_Very_.

Far more than he ever expected, anyway, since Stiles wasn't exactly counting on getting to second base tonight. But he can now smugly say that he knows how Lydia _feels_ under the palms of his hands, and it wasn't like Lydia was shy about feeling him either.

He couldn't be gladder that he had decided to check up on her.

When he does make it to the Martin's front door, Stiles is grinning like he hasn't in so long and Lydia is mirroring him, a quick peck placed on his lips for the road and a "See you tomorrow" that sounds all too hopeful to his ears, and on his way home his mind wanders not only to what they just shared, but to the last few days as well.

Maybe things are finally good for a change.

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Even though the previous night was great for Stiles and Lydia to get rid of some of the absurd sexual tension they'd be pilling up for months, they both agree on acting casually around school, mostly because of Malia. They wouldn't want a scene like the one from the day before to happen again.

Stiles parks the Jeep on the school parking lot five minutes before the bell rings, nerves in his stomach. Things last night had been fine, sure, and Stiles and Lydia had agreed on keeping things casual although they won't necessarily hide that they are now… Whatever they are. They are just gonna enjoy whatever this is and see where it takes them.

He spots the strawberry blonde as soon as he gets out of the vehicle, standing by the school's entrance a few feet away from him, a smile warming her features when she locks eyes with him. Stiles lets out a shaky breath before giving in to a grin when Lydia starts walking in his direction to meet him halfway.

"Hey," he greets and waves awkwardly, feeling uneasy for not really knowing what to do with his hands.

"Good morning," she replies blushing good naturedly, clutching her books closer to her chest, suffering from the same problem. "Did you sleep well?"

Stiles rubs the back of his neck. "I did, yes. Hmm… Did you?"

Lydia purses her lips. "Mmm hmm."

"How's your arm?" he asks, noticing a swelling there underneath the sleeve.

"It's alright. It feels far number than hurt, to be honest," she tells him. "And it's a little swollen, but I guess it's to be expected."

Stiles reaches out for her absently, brushing his thumb in comfort over where she's hurt, letting out a sigh. "Just promise me you won't face Malia if she shows up to school today. Please."

Lydia nods immediately, knowing that what happened the day before was partially her fault too. "I promise. I should have never answered her like that in the first place."

Stiles nods in acknowledgement, letting go of her with a small smile on his lips. "Should we uh-" he mumbles, tilting his head in the school's direction.

"Yeah," Lydia replies with an almost shy - but nonetheless - smirk, cheeks turning pinker again. "I need to stop by my locker before first period."

They start walking side by side, close but trying their best not to touch. "Is this awkward?" he asks reluctantly as they climb up the stairs that lead to the entrance, his tone low so that no one listens in, wondering if things have changed for the worse between them since last night because it's not like they have the best of luck very often. "And I feel like everyone's watching us."

They are, ever since Stiles climbed down of the Jeep. Lydia shakes her head, pursing her lips in a smile. "Two friends should be able to walk to class together, right? Not that we're… Not _more than that_, but you know what I mean. And I don't care what they think."

Stiles opens the door for her, letting Lydia enter the hallway first. "It's being really hard for me not to touch you," he lets out honestly, shoving his hands in his pockets to resist temptation.

Lydia chuckles. "I know. It's not being any easier for me," she laughs, moving the slightest bit closer to him as they make their way to their lockers. "My mom asked about you this morning," Lydia murmurs, embarrassed. "Said you looked really worried last night when she let you in."

Stiles blushes hard, remembering what Natalie had thought he was there to do with her daughter. "Did she uh- Did she say anything else?"

Lydia tilts her head. "Like what?"

"Like… Has she asked about what happened?" Stiles lets out a breath, a little anxious. "Between us? Last night?"

"Oh, she has. Wouldn't shut up about it over breakfast. Wanted to know everything."

Stiles chuckles to dissipate his nerves. "And hmm… What did you tell her?"

Lydia purses her lips again, her anxious tell showing. "I told her that we figured a few things out. Aside from that, I didn't tell her anything."

Stiles smiles softly, relieved. "My dad waited up until I got home. Told me I looked really stressed out when I left. Was even wondering if he should call Scott to check up on me. I didn't tell him anything either, though."

For now, whatever they have going on between them is just theirs and they want to keep it that way.

After so long, it feels right, exactly as it should be for the time being.

"You didn't tell him you were coming to see _me_?"

Stiles scratches his jaw. "Lets just say I wasn't being too eloquent before I left. I was really worried that you weren't answering your phone."

Lydia lets her free hand brush his as they walk when he relaxes his arm. "It won't happen again, I promise."

Stiles nods and smiles, stopping and leaning against the locker next to Lydia's. "I was _really_ worried," he teases.

"Oh, I know," she mocks, whispering "_I noticed_" with a cunning smile while putting away some of her books quickly, starting to walk again in a minute. The blush on her cheeks gives him life. "Are you gonna walk me to every class now?" she asks teasingly, eyes sparkling at the idea.

It's not like someone has ever done that for her before.

"Not _all_ classes," he replies jokingly. "Only if I'm not making out with Scott somewhere. Priorities, you know…"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to interrupt your boy time," she chuckles, bumping his arm with her shoulder and making a turn, spotting her classroom already.

"You'd never," he murmurs lightheartedly. "Friends _can_ walk each other to class, right?"

Lydia nods, stopping close to the door of her classroom but still to the side enough that her classmates can't see them. "I believe so, yes."

He stares at her for her a moment, how her fingers tap erratically on her notebooks in agitation. "I was thinking maybe we could study together after school today…"

Stiles leaves it in the air as a question and Lydia looks up at him, finding herself smugly biting on her lower lip before giving in to a full grin. "We'll see about that…"

Stiles chuckles, blushing softly. "Don't you get any ideas. I do mean studying…"

"Of course you do," she teases, leaning slightly towards him.

Stiles leans in too, but refrains from being too close just in case someone is watching them. "I actually do. But after studying, who knows…"

They lock eyes for a moment that feels endless before Lydia looks around, finding only two boys at the end of the hallway engaged in conversation and no one else, gathering the courage to tug at Stiles' shirt for leverage to peck his cheek just when the bell rings and before more people flood the hallway, chastely and taking longer than she probably should be kissing him since they're trying to lay low.

But the thing is that they're friends. They're more than that now, but first and foremost _they are_ friends. They should be able to spend time together, talk, hold hands, touch and kiss each other's cheek as they please, and it's no one's goddam business.

"Maybe we can talk about it over lunch and make plans?" she asks just to make sure, her hand lingering on his chest.

Stiles grins, squeezing her hand in return with a smug smile on his lips before taking a step back to leave for his own classroom. "I'll see you then."

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**Author's note: **As always, please review :)


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